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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Beowulf This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever You may copy it give it away or reuse it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at wwwgutenbergnet Title Beowulf An AngloSaxon Epic Poem Translated From The HeyneSocin Text by Lesslie Hall Author Release Date July EBook Language English START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEOWULF Produced by David Starner Dainis Millers and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at httpwwwpgdpnet BEOWULF AN ANGLOSAXON EPIC POEM TRANSLATED FROM THE HEYNESOCIN TEXT BY JNO LESSLIE HALL Ph D JHU Professor of English and History in The College of William and Mary DC HEATH CO PUBLISHERS BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO Entered according to Act of Congress in the year by JNO LESSLIE HALL in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington TO My Wife v CONTENTS PAGE Preface vii Bibliography of Translations xi Glossary of Proper Names xiii List of Words and Phrases not in General Use xviii The Life and Death of Scyld I Scylds Successors II Hrothgars Great MeadHall Grendel the Murderer III Beowulf Goes to Hrothgars Assistance IV The Geats Reach Heorot V Beowulf Introduces Himself at the Palace VI Hrothgar and Beowulf VII Hrothgar and Beowulf continued VIII Unferth Taunts Beowulf IX Beowulf Silences Unferth X Glee is High All Sleep save One XI Grendel and Beowulf XII Grendel is Vanquished XIII Rejoicing of the Danes XIV Hrothgars Gratitude XV Hrothgar Lavishes Gifts upon his Deliverer XVI Banquet continued XVII The Scops Song of Finn and Hnf The Finn Episode continued XVIII The Banquet Continues Beowulf Receives Further Honor XIX The Mother of Grendel XX Hrothgars Account of the Monsters XXI Beowulf Seeks Grendels Mother XXII Beowulfs Fight with Grendels Mother XXIII Beowulf is DoubleConqueror XXIV vi Beowulf Brings his Trophies XXV Hrothgars Gratitude Hrothgar Moralizes XXVI Rest after Labor Sorrow at Parting XXVII The Homeward Journey XXVIII The Two Queens Beowulf and Higelac XXIX Beowulf Narrates his Adventures to Higelac XXX GiftGiving is Mutual XXXI The Hoard and the Dragon XXXII Brave Though Aged XXXIII Reminiscences Beowulf Seeks the Dragon XXXIV Beowulfs Reminiscences Reminiscences continued XXXV Beowulfs Last Battle Wiglaf the Trusty XXXVI Beowulf is Deserted by Friends and by Sword The Fatal Struggle XXXVII Beowulfs Last Moments Wiglaf Plunders the Dragons Den XXXVIII Beowulfs Death The Dead Foes XXXIX Wiglafs Bitter Taunts The Messenger of Death XL The Messengers Retrospect XLI Wiglafs Sad Story XLII The Hoard Carried Off The Burning of Beowulf XLIII Addenda vii PREFACE The present work is a modest effort to reproduce approximately in modern measures the venerable epic Beowulf Approximately I repeat for a very close reproduction of AngloSaxon verse would to a large extent be prose to a modern ear The HeyneSocin text and glossary have been closely followed Occasionally a deviation has been made but always for what seemed good and sufficient reason The translator does not aim to be an editor Once in a while however he has added a conjecture of his own to the emendations quoted from the criticisms of other students of the poem This work is addressed to two classes of readers From both of these alike the translator begs sympathy and cooperation The AngloSaxon scholar he hopes to please by adhering faithfully to the original The student of English literature he aims to interest by giving him in modern garb the most ancient epic of our race This is a bold and venturesome undertaking and yet there must be some students of the Teutonic past willing to follow even a daring guide if they may read in modern phrases of the sorrows of Hrothgar of the prowess of Beowulf and of the feelings that stirred the hearts of our forefathers in their primeval homes In order to please the larger class of readers a regular cadence has been used a measure which while retaining the essential characteristics of the original permits the reader to see ahead of him in reading Perhaps every AngloSaxon scholar has his own theory as to how Beowulf should be translated Some have given us prose versions of what we believe to be a great poem Is it any reflection on our honored Kemble and Arnold to say that their translations fail to show a layman that Beowulf is justly called our first epic Of those translators who have used verse several have written from what would seem a mistaken point of view Is it proper for instance that the grave and solemn speeches of Beowulf and Hrothgar be put in ballad measures tripping lightly and airily along Or again is it fitting that the rough martial music of AngloSaxon verse be interpreted to us in the smooth measures of modern blank verse Do we hear what has been beautifully called the clanging tread of a warrior in mail viii Of all English translations of Beowulf that of Professor Garnett alone gives any adequate idea of the chief characteristics of this great Teutonic epic The measure used in the present translation is believed to be as near a reproduction of the original as modern English affords The cadences closely resemble those used by Browning in some of his most striking poems The four stresses of the AngloSaxon verse are retained and as much thesis and anacrusis is allowed as is consistent with a regular cadence Alliteration has been used to a large extent but it was thought that modern ears would hardly tolerate it on every line Endrhyme has been used occasionally internal rhyme sporadically Both have some warrant in AngloSaxon poetry For endrhyme see for internal rhyme What Gummere calls the rimegiver has been studiously kept viz the first accented syllable in the second halfverse always carries the alliteration and the last accented syllable alliterates only sporadically Alternate alliteration is occasionally used as in the original See No two accented syllables have been brought together except occasionally after a csural pause See and Or scientifically speaking Sieverss C type has been avoided as not consonant with the plan of translation Several of his types however constantly occur eg A and a variant x x x x x B and a variant x x x x x a variant of D x x x E x x Anacrusis gives further variety to the types used in the translation The parallelisms of the original have been faithfully preserved Eg and Lord and Wielder of Glory and and and Occasionally some loss has been sustained but on the other hand a gain has here and there been made The effort has been made to give a decided flavor of archaism to the translation All words not in keeping with the spirit of the poem have been avoided Again though many archaic words have been used there are none it is believed which are not found in standard modern poetry ix With these preliminary remarks it will not be amiss to give an outline of the story of the poem THE STORY Hrothgar king of the Danes or Scyldings builds a great meadhall or palace in which he hopes to feast his liegemen and to give them presents The joy of king and retainers is however of short duration Grendel the monster is seized with hateful jealousy He cannot brook the sounds of joyance that reach him down in his fendwelling near the hall Oft and anon he goes to the joyous building bent on direful mischief Thane after thane is ruthlessly carried off and devoured while no one is found strong enough and bold enough to cope with the monster For twelve years he persecutes Hrothgar and his vassals Over sea a days voyage off Beowulf of the Geats nephew of Higelac king of the Geats hears of Grendels doings and of Hrothgars misery He resolves to crush the fell monster and relieve the aged king With fourteen chosen companions he sets sail for Daneland Reaching that country he soon persuades Hrothgar of his ability to help him The hours that elapse before night are spent in beerdrinking and conversation When Hrothgars bedtime comes he leaves the hall in charge of Beowulf telling him that never before has he given to another the absolute wardship of his palace All retire to rest Beowulf as it were sleeping upon his arms Grendel comes the great marchstepper bearing Gods anger He seizes and kills one of the sleeping warriors Then he advances towards Beowulf A fierce and desperate handtohand struggle ensues No arms are used both combatants trusting to strength and handgrip Beowulf tears Grendels shoulder from its socket and the monster retreats to his den howling and yelling with agony and fury The wound is fatal The next morning at early dawn warriors in numbers flock to the hall Heorot to hear the news Joy is boundless Glee runs high Hrothgar and his retainers are lavish of gratitude and of gifts Grendels mother however comes the next night to avenge his death She is furious and raging While Beowulf is sleeping in a room somewhat apart x from the quarters of the other warriors she seizes one of Hrothgars favorite counsellors and carries him off and devours him Beowulf is called Determined to leave Heorot entirely purified he arms himself and goes down to look for the female monster After traveling through the waters many hours he meets her near the seabottom She drags him to her den There he sees Grendel lying dead After a desperate and almost fatal struggle with the woman he slays her and swims upward in triumph taking with him Grendels head Joy is renewed at Heorot Congratulations crowd upon the victor Hrothgar literally pours treasures into the lap of Beowulf and it is agreed among the vassals of the king that Beowulf will be their next liegelord Beowulf leaves Daneland Hrothgar weeps and laments at his departure When the hero arrives in his own land Higelac treats him as a distinguished guest He is the hero of the hour Beowulf subsequently becomes king of his own people the Geats After he has been ruling for fifty years his own neighborhood is wofully harried by a firespewing dragon Beowulf determines to kill him In the ensuing struggle both Beowulf and the dragon are slain The grief of the Geats is inexpressible They determine however to leave nothing undone to honor the memory of their lord A great funeralpyre is built and his body is burnt Then a memorialbarrow is made visible from a great distance that sailors afar may be constantly reminded of the prowess of the national hero of Geatland The poem closes with a glowing tribute to his bravery his gentleness his goodness of heart and his generosity It is the devout desire of this translator to hasten the day when the story of Beowulf shall be as familiar to Englishspeaking peoples as that of the Iliad Beowulf is our first great epic It is an epitomized history of the life of the Teutonic races It brings vividly before us our forefathers of preAlfredian eras in their love of war of sea and of adventure My special thanks are due to Professors Francis A March and James A Harrison for advice sympathy and assistance JL HALL xi ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE NOTES B Bugge C Cosijn Gr Grein Grdvtg Grundtvig H Heyne H and S Harrison and Sharp HSo HeyneSocin K Kemble Kl Kluge M Mllenhoff R Rieger S Sievers Sw Sweet tB ten Brink Th Thorpe W Wlcker BIBLIOGRAPHY OF TRANSLATIONS Arnold ThomasBeowulf A heroic poem of the eighth century London With English translation Prose Botkine LBeowulf Epope AngloSaxonne Havre First French translation Passages occasionally omitted Conybeare JJIllustrations of AngloSaxon Poetry London Full Latin translation and some passages translated into English blankverse Ettmuller LBeowulf stabreimend bersetzt Zrich Garnett JMBeowulf an AngloSaxon Poem and the Fight at Finnsburg Boston An accurate lineforline translation using alliteration occasionally and sometimes assuming a metrical cadence Grein CWMDichtungen der Angelsachsen stabreimend bersetzt Bde Gttingen Grion GiustoBeovulf poema epico anglosassone del VII secolo tradotto e illustrato Lucca First Italian translation Grundtvig NFSBjowulfs Drape Copenhagen Heyne MA translation in iambic measures Paderborn Kemble JMThe AngloSaxon Poems of Beowulf the Travellers Song and the Battle of Finnsburg London The second edition contains a prose translation of Beowulf Leo HUeber Beowulf Halle Translations of extracts xii Lumsden HWBeowulf translated into modern rhymes London Ballad measures Passages occasionally omitted Sandras GSDe carminibus Cdmoni adjudicatis Paris An extract from Beowulf with Latin translation Schaldmose FBeowulf og Scopes Widsith to Angelsaxiske Digte Copenhagen Simrock KBeowulf Uebersetzt und erlutert Stuttgart und Augsburg Alliterative measures Thorkelin GJDe Danorum rebus gestis secul III et IV poema Danicum dialecto Anglosaxonica Havni Latin translation Thorpe BThe AngloSaxon Poems of Beowulf the Scp or Gleemans Tale and the Fight at Finnsburg Oxford English translation in short lines generally containing two stresses Wackerbarth ADBeowulf translated into English verse London Wickberg RBeowulf en fornengelsk hjeltedikt fersatt Westervik First Swedish translation von Wolzogen HBeowulf in alliterative measures Leipzig Zinsser GDer Kampf Beowulfs mit Grendel Jahresbericht of the Realschule at Forbach xiii GLOSSARY OF PROPER NAMES The figures refer to the divisions of the poem in which the respective names occur The large figures refer to fitts the small to lines in the fitts lfhereA kinsman of Wiglaf schereConfidential friend of King Hrothgar Elder brother of Yrmenlaf Killed by Grendel BeanstanFather of Breca BeowulfSon of Scyld the founder of the dynasty of Scyldings Father of Healfdene and grandfather of Hrothgar BeowulfThe hero of the poem Sprung from the stock of Geats son of Ecgtheow Brought up by his maternal grandfather Hrethel and figuring in manhood as a devoted liegeman of his uncle Higelac A hero from his youth Has the strength of thirty men Engages in a swimmingmatch with Breca Goes to the help of Hrothgar against the monster Grendel Vanquishes Grendel and his mother Afterwards becomes king of the Geats Late in life attempts to kill a firespewing dragon and is slain Is buried with great honors His memorial mound etc BrecaBeowulfs opponent in the famous swimmingmatch BrondingsA people ruled by Breca Brosinga meneA famous collar once owned by the Brosings CainProgenitor of Grendel and other monsters DghrefnA warrior of the Hugs killed by Beowulf DanesSubjects of Scyld and his descendants and hence often called Scyldings Other names for them are VictoryScyldings HonorScyldings ArmorDanes BrightDanes EastDanes WestDanes NorthDanes SouthDanes Ingwins Hrethmen etc EcglafFather of Unferth who taunts Beowulf EcgtheowFather of Beowulf the hero of the poem A widelyknown Wgmunding warrior Marries Hrethels daughter After slaying Heatholaf a Wylfing he flees his country EcgwelaA king of the Danes before Scyld xiv ElanSister of Hrothgar and probably wife of Ongentheow king of the Swedes Eagle CapeA promontory in Geatland under which took place Beowulfs last encounter EadgilsSon of Ohthere and brother of Eanmund EanmundSon of Ohthere and brother of Eadgils The reference to these brothers is vague and variously understood Heyne supposes as follows Raising a revolt against their father they are obliged to leave Sweden They go to the land of the Geats with what intention is not known but probably to conquer and plunder The Geatish king Heardred is slain by one of the brothers probably Eanmund to to EoforA Geatish hero who slays Ongentheow in war and is rewarded by Hygelac with the hand of his only daughter EormenricA Gothic king from whom Hama took away the famous Brosinga mene EomrSon of Offa and Thrytho king and queen of the Angles FinnKing of the NorthFrisians and the Jutes Marries Hildeburg At his court takes place the horrible slaughter in which the Danish general Hnf fell Later on Finn himself is slain by Danish warriors FinlandThe country to which Beowulf was driven by the currents in his swimmingmatch FitelaSon and nephew of King Sigemund whose praises are sung in XIV FolcwaldaFather of Finn FranksIntroduced occasionally in referring to the death of Higelac FrisiansA part of them are ruled by Finn Some of them were engaged in the struggle in which Higelac was slain FreawareDaughter of King Hrothgar Married to Ingeld a Heathobard prince FrodaKing of the Heathobards and father of Ingeld GarmundFather of Offa Geats GeatmenThe race to which the hero of the poem belongs Also called WederGeats or Weders WarGeats SeaGeats They are ruled by Hrethel Hthcyn Higelac and Beowulf GepidsNamed in connection with the Danes and Swedes GrendelA monster of the race of Cain Dwells in the fens and moors Is furiously envious when he hears sounds of joy in Hrothgars palace Causes the king untold agony for years Is finally conquered by Beowulf and dies of his wound His hand and arm are hung up in Hrothgars hall Heorot His head is cut off by Beowulf when he goes down to fight with Grendels mother GuthlafA Dane of Hnfs party HalfDanesBranch of the Danes to which Hnf belonged xv HalgaSurnamed the Good Younger brother of Hrothgar HamaTakes the Brosinga mene from Eormenric HrethFather of Higelacs queen Hygd HthcynSon of Hrethel and brother of Higelac Kills his brother Herebeald accidentally Is slain at Ravenswood fighting against Ongentheow HelmingsThe race to which Queen Wealhtheow belonged HemingA kinsman of Garmund perhaps nephew HengestA Danish leader Takes command on the fall of Hnf HerebealdEldest son of Hrethel the Geatish king and brother of Higelac Killed by his younger brother Hthcyn HeremodA Danish king of a dynasty before the Scylding line Was a source of great sorrow to his people HerericReferred to as uncle of Heardred but otherwise unknown HetwarsAnother name for the Franks HealfdeneGrandson of Scyld and father of Hrothgar Ruled the Danes long and well HeardredSon of Higelac and Hygd king and queen of the Geats Succeeds his father with Beowulf as regent Is slain by the sons of Ohthere HeathobardsRace of Lombards of which Froda is king After Froda falls in battle with the Danes Ingeld his son marries Hrothgars daughter Freaware in order to heal the feud HeatholafA Wylfing warrior slain by Beowulfs father HeathoremesThe people on whose shores Breca is cast by the waves during his contest with Beowulf HeorogarElder brother of Hrothgar and surnamed Weoroda Rswa Prince of the Troopers HerewardSon of the above Heort HeorotThe great meadhall which King Hrothgar builds It is invaded by Grendel for twelve years Finally cleansed by Beowulf the Geat It is called Heort on account of the hartantlers which decorate it HildeburgWife of Finn daughter of Hoce and related to Hnfprobably his sister HnfLeader of a branch of the Danes called HalfDanes Killed in the struggle at Finns castle HondscioOne of Beowulfs companions Killed by Grendel just before Beowulf grappled with that monster HoceFather of Hildeburg and probably of Hnf HrethelKing of the Geats father of Higelac and grandfather of Beowulf HrethlaOnce used for Hrethel HrethmenAnother name for the Danes HrethricSon of Hrothgar xvi HreosnabeorhA promontory in Geatland near which Ohtheres sons made plundering raids HrothgarThe Danish king who built the hall Heort but was long unable to enjoy it on account of Grendels persecutions Marries Wealhtheow a Helming lady Has two sons and a daughter Is a typical Teutonic king lavish of gifts A devoted liegelord as his lamentations over slain liegemen prove Also very appreciative of kindness as is shown by his loving gratitude to Beowulf etc etc HrothmundSon of Hrothgar HrothulfProbably a son of Halga younger brother of Hrothgar Certainly on terms of close intimacy in Hrothgars palace HruntingUnferths sword lent to Beowulf HugsA race in alliance with the Franks and Frisians at the time of Higelacs fall HunA Frisian warrior probably general of the Hetwars Gives Hengest a beautiful sword HunferthSometimes used for Unferth Hygelac HigelacKing of the Geats uncle and liegelord of Beowulf the hero of the poemHis second wife is the lovely Hygd daughter of Hreth The son of their union is Heardred Is slain in a war with the Hugs Franks and Frisians combined Beowulf is regent and afterwards king of the Geats HygdWife of Higelac and daughter of Hreth There are some indications that she married Beowulf after she became a widow IngeldSon of the Heathobard king Froda Marries Hrothgars daughter Freaware in order to reconcile the two peoples IngwinsAnother name for the Danes JutesName sometimes applied to Finns people LafingName of a famous sword presented to Hengest by Hun MerewingA Frankish king probably engaged in the war in which Higelac was slain NglingBeowulfs sword OffaKing of the Angles and son of Garmund Marries the terrible Thrytho who is so strongly contrasted with Hygd OhthereSon of Ongentheow king of the Swedes He is father of Eanmund and Eadgils OnelaBrother of Ohthere OngentheowKing of Sweden of the Scylfing dynasty Married perhaps Elan daughter of Healfdene OslafA Dane of Hnfs party RavenswoodThe forest near which Hthcyn was slain ScefingApplied to Scyld and meaning son of Scef xvii ScyldFounder of the dynasty to which Hrothgar his father and grandfather belonged He dies and his body is put on a vessel and set adrift He goes from Daneland just as he had come to itin a bark ScyldingsThe descendants of Scyld They are also called HonorScyldings VictoryScyldings WarScyldings etc See Danes above ScylfingsA Swedish royal line to which Wiglaf belonged SigemundSon of Wls and uncle and father of Fitela His struggle with a dragon is related in connection with Beowulfs deeds of prowess SwertingGrandfather of Higelac and father of Hrethel SwedesPeople of Sweden ruled by the Scylfings ThrythoWife of Offa king of the Angles Known for her fierce and unwomanly disposition She is introduced as a contrast to the gentle Hygd queen of Higelac UnferthSon of Ecglaf and seemingly a confidential courtier of Hrothgar Taunts Beowulf for having taken part in the swimmingmatch Lends Beowulf his sword when he goes to look for Grendels mother In the MS sometimes written Hunferth WlsFather of Sigemund WgmundingA name occasionally applied to Wiglaf and Beowulf and perhaps derived from a common ancestor Wgmund WedersAnother name for Geats or Wedergeats WaylandA fabulous smith mentioned in this poem and in other old Teutonic literature WendelsThe people of Wulfgar Hrothgars messenger and retainer Perhaps Vandals WealhtheowWife of Hrothgar Her queenly courtesy is well shown in the poem Weohstan or WihstanA Wgmunding and father of Wiglaf Whales NessA prominent promontory on which Beowulfs mound was built WiglafSon of Wihstan and related to Beowulf He remains faithful to Beowulf in the fatal struggle with the firedrake Would rather die than leave his lord in his dire emergency WonredFather of Wulf and Eofor WulfSon of Wonred Engaged in the battle between Higelacs and Ongentheows forces and had a handtohand fight with Ongentheow himself Ongentheow disables him and is thereupon slain by Eofor WulfgarLord of the Wendels and retainer of Hrothgar WylfingsA people to whom belonged Heatholaf who was slain by Ecgtheow YrmenlafYounger brother of schere the hero whose death grieved Hrothgar so deeply xviii LIST OF WORDS AND PHRASES NOT IN GENERAL USE ATHELINGPrince nobleman BAIRNSon child BARROWMound rounded hill funeralmound BATTLESARKArmor BEAKERCup drinkingvessel BEGEARPrepare BIGHTBay sea BILLSword BOSSOrnamental projection BRACTEATEA round ornament on a necklace BRANDSword BURNStream BURNIEArmor CARLEMan hero EARLNobleman any brave man EKEAlso EMPRISEEnterprise undertaking ERSTFormerly ERSTWORTHYWorthy for a long time past FAINGlad FERRYBear carry FEYFated doomed FLOATVessel ship FOINTo lunge Shaks GLORY OF KINGSGod GREWSOMECruel fierce HEFTHandle hilt used by synecdoche for sword HELMHelmet protector HENCHMANRetainer vassal HIGHTAm was named HOLMOcean curved surface of the sea HIMSEEMEDIt seemed to him LIEFDear valued MERESea in compounds mereways merecurrents etc MICKLEMuch NATHLESSNevertheless NAZEEdge nose NESSEdge NICKERSeabeast QUIT QUITERequite RATHEQuickly REAVEBereave deprive SAILROADSea SETTLESeat bench SKINKEROne who pours SOOTHLYTruly SWINGEStroke blow TARGE TARGETShield THROUGHLYThoroughly TOLDCounted UNCANNYIllfeatured grizzly UNNETHEDifficult WARSPEEDSuccess in war WEBTapestry that which is woven WEEDEDClad cf widows weeds WEENSuppose imagine WEIRDFate Providence WHILOMAt times formerly often WIELDERRuler Often used of God also in compounds as Wielder of Glory Wielder of Worship WIGHTCreature WOLDPlane extended surface WOTKnows YOUNKERYouth BEOWULF I THE LIFE AND DEATH OF SCYLD The famous race of SpearDanes Lo the SpearDanes glory through splendid achievements The folkkings former fame we have heard of How princes displayed then their prowessinbattle Scyld their mighty king in honor of whom they are often called Scyldings He is the greatgrandfather of Hrothgar so prominent in the poem Oft Scyld the Scefing from scathers in numbers From many a people their meadbenches tore Since first he found him friendless and wretched The earl had had terror comfort he got for it Waxed neath the welkin worldhonor gained Till all his neighbors oer sea were compelled to Bow to his bidding and bring him their tribute An excellent atheling After was borne him A son is born to him who receives the name of Beowulfa name afterwards made so famous by the hero of the poem A son and heir young in his dwelling Whom GodFather sent to solace the people He had marked the misery malice had caused them That reaved of their rulers they wretched had erstwhile Long been afflicted The Lord in requital Wielder of Glory with worldhonor blessed him Famed was Beowulf far spread the glory Of Scylds great son in the lands of the Danemen The ideal Teutonic king lavishes gifts on his vassals So the carle that is young by kindnesses rendered The friends of his father with fees in abundance Must be able to earn that when age approacheth Eager companions aid him requitingly When war assaults him serve him as liegemen By praiseworthy actions must honor be got Mong all of the races At the hour that was fated Scyld dies at the hour appointed by Fate Scyld then departed to the AllFathers keeping Warlike to wend him away then they bare him To the flood of the current his fondloving comrades As himself he had bidden while the friend of the Scyldings Wordsway wielded and the welllovd landprince Long did rule them The ringstemmd vessel Bark of the atheling lay there at anchor Icy in glimmer and eager for sailing By his own request his body is laid on a vessel and wafted seaward The belovd leader laid they down there Giver of rings on the breast of the vessel The famed by the mainmast A many of jewels Of fretted embossings from farlands brought over Was placed near at hand then and heard I not ever That a folk ever furnished a float more superbly With weapons of warfare weeds for the battle Bills and burnies on his bosom sparkled Many a jewel that with him must travel On the flush of the flood afar on the current And favors no fewer they furnished him soothly Excellent folkgems than others had given him He leaves Daneland on the breast of a bark Who when first he was born outward did send him Lone on the main the merest of infants And a goldfashioned standard they stretched under heaven High oer his head let the holmcurrents bear him Seaward consigned him sad was their spirit Their mood very mournful Men are not able No one knows whither the boat drifted Soothly to tell us they in halls who reside Heroes under heaven to what haven he hied For the t of verse Sievers suggests which If this be accepted the sentence He had afflicted will read He ie God had perceived the malicecaused sorrow which they lordless had formerly long endured For aldorlase Gr suggested aldorceare He perceived their distress that they formerly had suffered lifesorrow a long while A very difficult passage hte has no object H supplies geweald from the context and our translation is based upon this assumption though it is far from satisfactory Kl suggests lndagas for lange And the beloved landprince enjoyed had his transitory days ie lived B suggests a dislocation but this is a dangerous doctrine pushed rather far by that eminent scholar The reading of the HSo text has been quite closely followed but some eminent scholars read slerdenne for selerdende If that be adopted the passage will read Men cannot tell us indeed the order of Fate etc Selerdende has two things to support it v it affords a parallel to men in v II SCYLDS SUCCESSORSHROTHGARS GREAT MEADHALL Beowulf succeeds his father Scyld In the boroughs then Beowulf bairn of the Scyldings Belovd landprince for longlasting season Was famed mid the folk his father departed The prince from his dwelling till afterward sprang Greatminded Healfdene the Danes in his lifetime He graciously governed grimmooded agd Healfdenes birth Four bairns of his body born in succession Woke in the world wartroopers leader Heorogar Hrothgar and Halga the good Heard I that Elan was Ongentheows consort He has three sonsone of them Hrothgarand a daughter named Elan Hrothgar becomes a mighty king The wellbeloved bedmate of the WarScylfing leader Then glory in battle to Hrothgar was given Waxing of warfame that willingly kinsmen Obeyed his bidding till the boys grew to manhood A numerous band It burned in his spirit To urge his folk to found a great building A meadhall grander than men of the era He is eager to build a great hall in which he may feast his retainers Ever had heard of and in it to share With young and old all of the blessings The Lord had allowed him save life and retainers Then the work I find afar was assigned To many races in middleearths regions To adorn the great folkhall In due time it happened Early mong men that twas finished entirely The greatest of hallbuildings Heorot he named it The hall is completed and is called Heort or Heorot Who widereaching wordsway wielded mong earlmen His promise he brake not rings he lavished Treasure at banquet Towered the hall up High and horncrested huge between antlers It battlewaves bided the blasting firedemon Ere long then from hottest hatred must swordwrath Arise for a womans husband and father Then the mighty warspirit endured for a season The Monster Grendel is madly envious of the Danemens joy Bore it bitterly he who bided in darkness That lighthearted laughter loud in the building Greeted him daily there was dulcet harpmusic Clear song of the singer He said that was able The course of the story is interrupted by a short reference to some old account of the creation To tell from of old earthmens beginnings That Father Almighty earth had created The winsome wold that the water encircleth Set exultingly the suns and the moons beams To lavish their lustre on landfolk and races And earth He embellished in all her regions With limbs and leaves life He bestowed too On all the kindreds that live under heaven The glee of the warriors is overcast by a horrible dread So blessed with abundance brimming with joyance The warriors abided till a certain one gan to Dog them with deeds of direfullest malice A foe in the hallbuilding this horrible stranger Was Grendel entitled the marchstepper famous Who dwelt in the moorfens the marsh and the fastness The wanmooded being abode for a season In the land of the giants when the Lord and Creator Had banned him and branded For that bitter murder The killing of Abel allruling Father Cain is referred to as a progenitor of Grendel and of monsters in general The kindred of Cain crushed with His vengeance In the feud He rejoiced not but far away drove him From kindred and kind that crime to atone for Meter of Justice Thence illfavored creatures Elves and giants monsters of ocean Came into being and the giants that longtime Grappled with God He gave them requital R and t B prefer ellorgst to ellengst Then the stranger from afar endured etc Some authorities would translate demon instead of stranger Some authorities arrange differently and render Who dwelt in the moorfens the marsh and the fastness the land of the giantrace III GRENDEL THE MURDERER Grendel attacks the sleeping heroes When the sun was sunken he set out to visit The lofty hallbuilding how the RingDanes had used it For beds and benches when the banquet was over Then he found there reposing many a noble Asleep after supper sorrow the heroes Misery knew not The monster of evil Greedy and cruel tarried but little He drags off thirty of them and devours them Fell and frantic and forced from their slumbers Thirty of thanemen thence he departed Leaping and laughing his lair to return to With surfeit of slaughter sallying homeward In the dusk of the dawning as the day was just breaking Was Grendels prowess revealed to the warriors A cry of agony goes up when Grendels horrible deed is fully realized Then his mealtaking finished a moan was uplifted Morningcry mighty The manruler famous The longworthy atheling sat very woful Suffered great sorrow sighed for his liegemen When they had seen the track of the hateful pursuer The spirit accursd too crushing that sorrow The monster returns the next night Too loathsome and lasting Not longer he tarried But one night after continued his slaughter Shameless and shocking shrinking but little From malice and murder they mastered him fully He was easy to find then who otherwhere looked for A pleasanter place of repose in the lodges A bed in the bowers Then was brought to his notice Told him truly by token apparent The hallthanes hatred he held himself after Further and faster who the foeman did baffle So ruled he and strongly strove against justice Lone against all men till empty uptowered King Hrothgars agony and suspense last twelve years The choicest of houses Long was the season Twelvewinters time torture suffered The friend of the Scyldings every affliction Endless agony hence it after became Certainly known to the children of men Sadly in measures that long against Hrothgar Grendel struggledhis grudges he cherished Murderous malice many a winter Strife unremitting and peacefully wished he Lifewoe to lift from no liegeman at all of The men of the Danefolk for money to settle No counsellor needed count for a moment On handsome amends at the hands of the murderer Grendel is unremitting in his persecutions The monster of evil fiercely did harass The illplanning deathshade both elder and younger Trapping and tricking them He trod every night then The mistcovered moorfens men do not know where Witches and wizards wander and ramble So the foe of mankind many of evils Grievous injuries often accomplished Horrible hermit Heort he frequented Gembedecked palace when nightshades had fallen God is against the monster Since God did oppose him not the throne could he touch The lightflashing jewel love of Him knew not Twas a fearful affliction to the friend of the Scyldings The king and his council deliberate in vain Soulcrushing sorrow Not seldom in private Sat the king in his council conference held they What the braves should determine gainst terrors unlooked for They invoke the aid of their gods At the shrines of their idols often they promised Gifts and offerings earnestly prayed they The devil from hell would help them to lighten Their peoples oppression Such practice they used then Hope of the heathen hell they remembered In innermost spirit God they knew not The true God they do not know Judge of their actions Allwielding Ruler No praise could they give the Guardian of Heaven The Wielder of Glory Woe will be his who Through furious hatred his spirit shall drive to The clutch of the fire no comfort shall look for Wax no wiser well for the man who Living his lifedays his Lord may face And find defence in his Fathers embrace The translation is based on weras adopted by HSoK and Th read wera and arranging differently render They knew not sorrow the wretchedness of man aught of misfortuneFor unhlo R suggests unflo The uncanny creature greedy and cruel etc S rearranges and translates So he ruled and struggled unjustly one against all till the noblest of buildings stood useless it was a long while twelve years time the friend of the Scyldings suffered distress every woe great sorrows etc For syan B suggests srcwidum Hence in mournful words it became well known etc Various other words beginning with s have been conjectured The HSo glossary is very inconsistent in referring to this passageSibbe which HSo regards as an instr B takes as accus obj of wolde Putting a comma after Deniga he renders He did not desire peace with any of the Danes nor did he wish to remove their lifewoe nor to settle for money Of this difficult passage the following interpretations among others are given Though Grendel has frequented Heorot as a demon he could not become ruler of the Danes on account of his hostility to God Hrothgar was much grieved that Grendel had not appeared before his throne to receive presents He was not permitted to devastate the hall on account of the Creator ie God wished to make his visit fatal to himNe wisse W renders Nor had he any desire to do so his being obj gen danach IV BEOWULF GOES TO HROTHGARS ASSISTANCE Hrothgar sees no way of escape from the persecutions of Grendel So Healfdenes kinsman constantly mused on His longlasting sorrow the battlethane clever Was not anywise able evils to scape from Too crushing the sorrow that came to the people Loathsome and lasting the lifegrinding torture Beowulf the Geat hero of the poem hears of Hrothgars sorrow and resolves to go to his assistance Greatest of nightwoes So Higelacs liegeman Good amid Geatmen of Grendels achievements Heard in his home of heroes then living He was stoutest and strongest sturdy and noble He bade them prepare him a bark that was trusty He said he the warking would seek oer the ocean The folkleader noble since he needed retainers For the perilous project prudent companions Chided him little though loving him dearly They egged the brave atheling augured him glory With fourteen carefully chosen companions he sets out for Daneland The excellent knight from the folk of the Geatmen Had liegemen selected likest to prove them Trustworthy warriors with fourteen companions The vessel he looked for a liegeman then showed them A seacrafty man the bounds of the country Fast the days fleeted the float was awater The craft by the cliff Clomb to the prow then Wellequipped warriors the wavecurrents twisted The sea on the sand soldiers then carried On the breast of the vessel brightshining jewels Handsome wararmor heroes outshoved then Warmen the woodship on its wishedfor adventure The vessel sails like a bird The foamynecked floater fanned by the breeze Likest a bird glided the waters In twenty four hours they reach the shores of Hrothgars dominions Till twenty and four hours thereafter The twiststemmed vessel had traveled such distance That the sailingmen saw the sloping embankments The sea cliffs gleaming precipitous mountains Nesses enormous they were nearing the limits At the end of the ocean Up thence quickly The men of the Weders clomb to the mainland Fastened their vessel battle weeds rattled War burnies clattered the Wielder they thanked That the ways oer the waters had waxen so gentle They are hailed by the Danish coast guard Then well from the cliff edge the guard of the Scyldings Who the seacliffs should see to saw oer the gangway Brave ones bearing beauteous targets Armor all ready anxiously thought he Musing and wondering what men were approaching High on his horse then Hrothgars retainer Turned him to coastward mightily brandished His lance in his hands questioned with boldness His challenge Who are ye men here mailcovered warriors Clad in your corslets come thus adriving A high riding ship oer the shoals of the waters And hither neath helmets have hied oer the ocean I have been strandguard standing as warden Lest enemies ever anywise ravage Danish dominions with army of warships More boldly never have warriors ventured Hither to come of kinsmens approval Wordleave of warriors I ween that ye surely He is struck by Beowulfs appearance Nothing have known Never a greater one Of earls oer the earth have I had a sight of Than is one of your number a hero in armor No lowranking fellow adorned with his weapons But launching them little unless looks are deceiving And striking appearance Ere ye pass on your journey As treacherous spies to the land of the Scyldings And farther fare I fully must know now What race ye belong to Ye faraway dwellers Seafaring sailors my simple opinion Hear ye and hearken haste is most fitting Plainly to tell me what place ye are come from From hm is much disputed One rendering is Beowulf being away from home heard of Hrothgars troubles etc Another that adopted by S and endorsed in the HSo notes is B heard from his neighborhood neighbors ie in his home etc A third is B being at home heard this as occurring away from home The HSo glossary and notes conflict Eoletes is marked with a by HSo our rendering simply follows his conjectureOther conjectures as to eolet are voyage toil labor hasty journey The lacuna of the MS at this point has been supplied by various conjectures The reading adopted by HSo has been rendered in the above translation W like HSo makes ic the beginning of a new sentence but for helmas bron he reads hringed stefnan This has the advantage of giving a parallel to brontne ceol instead of a kenning for goB puts the after holmas and begins a new sentence at the middle of the line Translate What warriors are ye clad in armor who have thus come bringing the foaming vessel over the water way hither over the seas For some time on the wall I have been coast guard etc S endorses most of what B says but leaves out on the wall in the last sentence If Ws hringed stefnan be accepted change line above to A ringstemmed vessel hither oersea Seldguma is variously rendered housecarle homestayer common man Dr H Wood suggests a manatarms in anothers house V THE GEATS REACH HEOROT Beowulf courteously replies The chief of the strangers rendered him answer Wartroopers leader and wordtreasure opened We are Geats We are sprung from the lineage of the people of Geatland And Higelacs hearthfriends To heroes unnumbered My father Ecgtheow was wellknown in his day My father was known a noble headwarrior Ecgtheow titled many a winter He lived with the people ere he passed on his journey Old from his dwelling each of the counsellors Widely mid worldfolk well remembers him Our intentions towards King Hrothgar are of the kindest We kindly of spirit the lord of thy people The son of King Healfdene have come here to visit Folktroops defender be free in thy counsels To the noble one bear we a weighty commission The helm of the Danemen we shall hide I ween Is it true that a monster is slaying Danish heroes Naught of our message Thou knowst if it happen As we soothly heard say that some savage despoiler Some hidden pursuer on nights that are murky By deeds very direful mid the Danemen exhibits Hatred unheard of horrid destruction And the falling of dead From feelings least selfish I can help your king to free himself from this horrible creature I am able to render counsel to Hrothgar How he wise and worthy may worst the destroyer If the anguish of sorrow should ever be lessened Comfort come to him and carewaves grow cooler Or ever hereafter he agony suffer And troublous distress while towereth upward The handsomest of houses high on the summit The coastguard reminds Beowulf that it is easier to say than to do Bestriding his stallion the strandwatchman answered The doughty retainer The difference surely Twixt words and works the warlike shieldbearer Who judgeth wisely well shall determine This band I hear beareth no malice I am satisfied of your good intentions and shall lead you to the palace To the prince of the Scyldings Pass ye then onward With weapons and armor I shall lead you in person To my wartrusty vassals command I shall issue To keep from all injury your excellent vessel Your boat shall be well cared for during your stay here Your freshtarred craft gainst every opposer Close by the seashore till the curvedneckd bark shall Waft back again the wellbeloved hero Oer the way of the water to Weder dominions He again compliments Beowulf To warrior so great twill be granted sure In the storm of strife to stand secure Onward they fared then the vessel lay quiet The broadbosomed bark was bound by its cable Firmly at anchor the boarsigns glistened Bright on the visors vivid with gilding Blazehardened brilliant the boar acted warden The heroes hastened hurried the liegemen The land is perhaps rolling Descended together till they saw the great palace The wellfashioned wassailhall wondrous and gleaming Heorot flashes on their view Mid worldfolk and kindreds that was widest reputed Of halls under heaven which the hero abode in Its lustre enlightened lands without number Then the battlebrave hero showed them the glittering Court of the bold ones that they easily thither Might fare on their journey the aforementioned warrior Turning his courser quoth as he left them The coastguard having discharged his duty bids them Godspeed Tis time I were faring Father Almighty Grant you His grace and give you to journey Safe on your mission To the sea I will get me Gainst hostile warriors as warden to stand Edwendan B takes to be the subs edwenden cf and bisigu he takes as gen sing limiting edwenden If reparation for sorrows is ever to come This is supported by tB Combining the emendations of B and tB we may read The boarimages glistened brilliant protected the life of the warmooded man They read ferhwearde and gmdgum men VI BEOWULF INTRODUCES HIMSELF AT THE PALACE The highway glistened with manyhued pebble A bypath led the liegemen together Firm and handlocked the warburnie glistened The ringsword radiant rang mid the armor As the party was approaching the palace together They set their arms and armor against the wall In warlike equipments Gainst the wall of the building Their widefashioned warshields they weary did set then Battleshields sturdy benchward they turned then Their battlesarks rattled the gear of the heroes The lances stood up then all in a cluster The arms of the seamen ashenshafts mounted With edges of iron the armorclad troopers A Danish hero asks them whence and why they are come Were decked with weapons Then a proudmooded hero Asked of the champions questions of lineage From what borders bear ye your battleshields plated Gilded and gleaming your graycolored burnies Helmets with visors and heap of warlances To Hrothgar the king I am servant and liegeman Mong folk from farlands found I have never He expresses no little admiration for the strangers Men so many of mien more courageous I ween that from valor nowise as outlaws But from greatness of soul ye sought for King Hrothgar Beowulf replies Then the strengthfamous earlman answer rendered The proudmooded Wederchief replied to his question We are Higelacs tablecompanions and bear an important commission to your prince Hardy neath helmet Higelacs mates are we Beowulf hight I To the bairn of Healfdene The famous folkleader I freely will tell To thy prince my commission if pleasantly hearing Hell grant we may greet him so gracious to all men Wulfgar replied then he was prince of the Wendels His boldness of spirit was known unto many His prowess and prudence The prince of the Scyldings Wulfgar the thane says that he will go and ask Hrothgar whether he will see the strangers The friendlord of Danemen I will ask of thy journey The giver of rings as thou urgest me do it The folkchief famous and inform thee early What answer the good one mindeth to render me He turned then hurriedly where Hrothgar was sitting Old and hoary his earlmen attending him The strengthfamous went till he stood at the shoulder Of the lord of the Danemen of courteous thanemen The custom he minded Wulfgar addressed then His friendly liegelord Folk of the Geatmen He thereupon urges his liegelord to receive the visitors courteously Oer the way of the waters are wafted hither Faring from farlands the foremost in rank The battlechampions Beowulf title They make this petition with thee O my chieftain To be granted a conference O gracious King Hrothgar Friendly answer refuse not to give them Hrothgar too is struck with Beowulfs appearance In wartrappings weeded worthy they seem Of earls to be honored sure the atheling is doughty Who headed the heroes hitherward coming Instead of the punctuation given by HSo S proposed to insert a comma after scr and to take hringren as meaning ringmail and as parallel with gbyrne The passage would then read The firm and handlocked warburnie shone bright ringmail rang mid the armor etc Gr and others translate unhr by bald old and bald VII HROTHGAR AND BEOWULF Hrothgar remembers Beowulf as a youth and also remembers his father Hrothgar answered helm of the Scyldings I remember this man as the merest of striplings His father long dead now was Ecgtheow titled Him Hrethel the Geatman granted at home his One only daughter his battlebrave son Is come but now sought a trustworthy friend Seafaring sailors asserted it then Beowulf is reported to have the strength of thirty men Who valuable giftgems of the Geatmen carried As peaceoffering thither that he thirty mens grapple Has in his hand the heroinbattle God hath sent him to our rescue The holy Creator usward sent him To WestDane warriors I ween for to render Gainst Grendels grimness gracious assistance I shall give to the good one giftgems for courage Hasten to bid them hither to speed them To see assembled this circle of kinsmen Tell them expressly theyre welcome in sooth to The men of the Danes To the door of the building Wulfgar invites the strangers in Wulfgar went then this wordmessage shouted My victorious liegelord bade me to tell you The EastDanes atheling that your origin knows he And oer wavebillows wafted ye welcome are hither Valiant of spirit Ye straightway may enter Clad in corslets cased in your helmets To see King Hrothgar Here let your battleboards Woodspears and warshafts await your conferring The mighty one rose then with many a liegeman An excellent thanegroup some there did await them And as bid of the brave one the battlegear guarded Together they hied them while the hero did guide them Neath Heorots roof the highminded went then Sturdy neath helmet till he stood in the building Beowulf spake his burnie did glisten His armor seamed over by the art of the craftsman Beowulf salutes Hrothgar and then proceeds to boast of his youthful achievements Hail thou Hrothgar I am Higelacs kinsman And vassal forsooth many a wonder I dared as a stripling The doings of Grendel In faroff fatherland I fully did know of Seafarers tell us this hallbuilding standeth Excellent edifice empty and useless To all the earlmen after evenlights glimmer Neath heavens bright hues hath hidden its glory This my earls then urged me the most excellent of them Carles very clever to come and assist thee Folkleader Hrothgar fully they knew of His fight with the nickers The strength of my body Themselves they beheld me When I came from the contest when covered with gore Foes I escaped from where five I had bound The giantrace wasted in the waters destroying The nickers by night bore numberless sorrows The Weders avenged woes had they suffered Enemies ravaged alone now with Grendel He intends to fight Grendel unaided I shall manage the matter with the monster of evil The giant decide it Thee I would therefore Beg of thy bounty BrightDanish chieftain Lord of the Scyldings this single petition Not to refuse me defender of warriors Friendlord of folks so far have I sought thee That I may unaided my earlmen assisting me This bravemooded warband purify Heorot I have heard on inquiry the horrible creature Since the monster uses no weapons From veriest rashness recks not for weapons I this do scorn then so be Higelac gracious My liegelord belovd lenient of spirit To bear a blade or a broadfashioned target A shield to the onset only with handgrip I too shall disdain to use any The foe I must grapple fight for my life then Foeman with foeman he fain must rely on The doom of the Lord whom death layeth hold of Should he crush me he will eat my companions as he has eaten thy thanes I ween he will wish if he win in the struggle To eat in the warhall earls of the Geatfolk Boldly to swallow them as of yore he did often The best of the Hrethmen Thou needest not trouble A headwatch to give me he will have me dripping In case of my defeat thou wilt not have the trouble of burying me And dreary with gore if death overtake me Will bear me off bleeding biting and mouthing me The hermit will eat me heedless of pity Marking the moorfens no more wilt thou need then Should I fall send my armor to my lord King Higelac Find me my food If I fall in the battle Send to Higelac the armor that serveth To shield my bosom the best of equipments Richest of ringmails tis the relic of Hrethla Weird is supreme The work of Wayland Goes Weird as she must go Some render gifsceattas by tributeGata B and Th emended to Gatum If this be accepted change of the Geatmen to to the Geatmen If tBs emendation of vv be accepted the two lines Hasten kinsmen will read Hasten thou bid the throng of kinsmen go into the hall together For b and a B suggests r ic on ffelgeban de eotena cyn where I in the ocean destroyed the eotenracetB accepts Bs brilliant ffelgeban omits on emends cyn to hm arranging r ic ffelgeban de eotena hm where I desolated the ocean the home of the eotensThis would be better but for changing cyn to hmI suggest r ic ffelgeband cf nhd Bande de eotena cyn where I conquered the monster band the race of the eotens This makes no change except to read ffel for ffe Unforhte is much disputedHSo wavers between adj and adv Gr and B take it as an adv modifying etan Will eat the Geats fearlesslyKl considers this reading absurd and proposes anforhte timidUnderstanding unforhte as an adj has this advantage viz that it gives a parallel to Getena lede but to take it as an adv is more natural Furthermore to call the Geats brave might at this point seem like an implied thrust at the Danes so long helpless while to call his own men timid would be befouling his own nest For headwatch cf HSo notes and cf v Th translates Thou wilt not need my head to hide ie thou wilt have no occasion to bury me as Grendel will devour me wholeSimrock imagines a kind of deadwatchDr H Wood suggests Thou wilt not have to bury so much as my head for Grendel will be a thorough undertakergrim humor S proposes a colon after nime l This would make no essential change in the translation Owing to the vagueness of feorme this passage is variously translated In our translation HSos glossary has been quite closely followed This agrees substantially with Bs translation P and B XII R translates Thou needst not take care longer as to the consumption of my dead body Lc is also a crux here as it may mean living body or dead body VIII HROTHGAR AND BEOWULFContinued Hrothgar responds Hrothgar discoursed helm of the Scyldings To defend our folk and to furnish assistance Thou soughtest us hither good friend Beowulf Reminiscences of Beowulfs father Ecgtheow The fiercest of feuds thy father engaged in Heatholaf killed he in handtohand conflict Mid Wilfingish warriors then the Wederish people For fear of a feud were forced to disown him Thence flying he fled to the folk of the SouthDanes The race of the Scyldings oer the roll of the waters I had lately begun then to govern the Danemen The hoardseat of heroes held in my youth Rich in its jewels dead was Heregar My kinsman and elder had earthjoys forsaken Healfdene his bairn He was better than I am That feud thereafter for a fee I compounded Oer the weltering waters to the Wilfings I sent Ornaments old oaths did he swear me Hrothgar recounts to Beowulf the horrors of Grendels persecutions It pains me in spirit to any to tell it What grief in Heorot Grendel hath caused me What horror unlookedfor by hatred unceasing Waned is my warband wasted my halltroop Weird hath offcast them to the clutches of Grendel God can easily hinder the scather From deeds so direful Oft drunken with beer My thanes have made many boasts but have not executed them Oer the alevessel promised warriors in armor They would willingly wait on the wassailingbenches A grapple with Grendel with grimmest of edges Then this meadhall at morning with murder was reeking The building was bloody at breaking of daylight The benchdeals all flooded dripping and bloodied The folkhall was gory I had fewer retainers Dearbeloved warriors whom death had laid hold of Sit down to the feast and give us comfort Sit at the feast now thy intents unto heroes Thy victorfame show as thy spirit doth urge thee A bench is made ready for Beowulf and his party For the men of the Geats then together assembled In the beerhall blithesome a bench was made ready There warlike in spirit they went to be seated Proud and exultant A liegeman did service Who a beaker embellished bore with decorum The gleeman sings And gleamingdrink poured The gleeman sang whilom The heroes all rejoice together Hearty in Heorot there was heroes rejoicing A numerous warband of Weders and Danemen B and S reject the reading given in HSo and suggested by Grtvg B suggests for wereryhtum wine mn Bowulf and for rstafum sic shtest This means From the obligations of clientage my friend Beowulf and for assistance thou hast sought usThis gives coherence to Hrothgars opening remarks in VIII and also introduces a new motive for Beowulfs coming to Hrothgars aid Sit now at the feast and disclose thy purposes to the victorious heroes as thy spirit urgesKl reaches the above translation by erasing the comma after meoto and reading sigehrsecgumThere are other and bolder emendations and suggestions Of these the boldest is to regard meoto as a verb imperative and read on sl Think upon gayety etcAll the renderings are unsatisfactory the one given in our translation involving a zeugma IX UNFERTH TAUNTS BEOWULF Unferth a thane of Hrothgar is jealous of Beowulf and undertakes to twit him Unferth spoke up Ecglaf his son Who sat at the feet of the lord of the Scyldings Opened the jousting the journey of Beowulf Seafarer doughty gave sorrow to Unferth And greatest chagrin too for granted he never That any man else on earth should attain to Gain under heaven more glory than he Did you take part in a swimmingmatch with Breca Art thou that Beowulf with Breca did struggle On the wide seacurrents at swimming contended Where to humor your pride the ocean ye tried Twas mere folly that actuated you both to risk your lives on the ocean From vainest vaunting adventured your bodies In care of the waters And no one was able Nor lief nor loth one in the least to dissuade you Your difficult voyage then ye ventured aswimming Where your arms outstretching the streams ye did cover The mereways measured mixing and stirring them Glided the ocean angry the waves were With the weltering of winter In the waters possession Ye toiled for a sevennight he at swimming outdid thee In strength excelled thee Then early at morning On the Heathoremes shore the holmcurrents tossed him Sought he thenceward the home of his fathers Beloved of his liegemen the land of the Brondings The peacecastle pleasant where a people he wielded Had borough and jewels The pledge that he made thee Breca outdid you entirely The son of Beanstan hath soothly accomplished Then I ween thou wilt find thee less fortunate issue Much more will Grendel outdo you if you vie with him in prowess Though ever triumphant in onset of battle A grim grappling if Grendel thou darest For the space of a night nearby to wait for Beowulf retaliates Beowulf answered offspring of Ecgtheow My good friend Unferth sure freely and wildly O friend Unferth you are fuddled with beer and cannot talk coherently Thou fuddled with beer of Breca hast spoken Hast told of his journey A fact I allege it That greater strength in the waters I had then Ills in the ocean than any man else had We made agreement as the merest of striplings Promised each other both of us then were We simply kept an engagement made in early life Younkers in years that we yet would adventure Out on the ocean it all we accomplished While swimming the seafloods swordblade unscabbarded Boldly we brandished our bodies expected To shield from the sharks He sure was unable He could not excel me and I would not excel him To swim on the waters further than I could More swift on the waves nor would I from him go Then we two companions stayed in the ocean After five days the currents separated us Five nights together till the currents did part us The weltering waters weathers the bleakest And nethermost night and the northwind whistled Fierce in our faces fell were the billows The mere fishes mood was mightily ruffled And there against foemen my firmknotted corslet Handjointed hardy help did afford me My battlesark braided brilliantly gilded A horrible seabeast attacked me but I slew him Lay on my bosom To the bottom then dragged me A hateful fiendscather seized me and held me Grim in his grapple twas granted me nathless To pierce the monster with the point of my weapon My obedient blade battle offcarried The mighty merecreature by means of my handblow It has been plausibly suggested that s in and in means arrival If so translate the bracket the arrival of Beowulf the brave seafarer was a source of great chagrin to Unferth etc X BEOWULF SILENCES UNFERTHGLEE IS HIGH So illmeaning enemies often did cause me Sorrow the sorest I served them in quittance My dear sword always served me faithfully With my dearlovd sword as in sooth it was fitting They missed the pleasure of feasting abundantly Illdoers evil of eating my body Of surrounding the banquet deep in the ocean But wounded with edges early at morning They were stretched ahigh on the strand of the ocean I put a stop to the outrages of the seamonsters Put to sleep with the sword that seagoing travelers No longer thereafter were hindered from sailing The foamdashing currents Came a light from the east Gods beautiful beacon the billows subsided That well I could see the nesses projecting Fortune helps the brave earl The blustering crags Weird often saveth The undoomed hero if doughty his valor But me did it fortune to fell with my weapon Nine of the nickers Of nightstruggle harder Neath dome of the heaven heard I but rarely Nor of wight more woful in the waves of the ocean Yet I scaped with my life the grip of the monsters After that escape I drifted to Finland Weary from travel Then the waters bare me To the land of the Finns the flood with the current I have never heard of your doing any such bold deeds The weltering waves Not a word hath been told me Of deeds so daring done by thee Unferth And of swordterror none never hath Breca At the play of the battle nor either of you two Feat so fearless performd with weapons Glinting and gleaming I utter no boasting You are a slayer of brothers and will suffer damnation wise as you may be Though with coldblooded cruelty thou killedst thy brothers Thy nearest of kin thou needs must in hell get Direful damnation though doughty thy wisdom I tell thee in earnest offspring of Ecglaf Never had Grendel such numberless horrors The direful demon done to thy liegelord Harrying in Heorot if thy heart were as sturdy Had your acts been as brave as your words Grendel had not ravaged your land so long Thy mood as ferocious as thou dost describe them He hath found out fully that the fierceburning hatred The edgebattle eager of all of your kindred Of the VictoryScyldings need little dismay him Oaths he exacteth not any he spares The monster is not afraid of the Danes Of the folk of the Danemen but fighteth with pleasure Killeth and feasteth no contest expecteth but he will soon learn to dread the Geats From SpearDanish people But the prowess and valor Of the earls of the Geatmen early shall venture To give him a grapple He shall go who is able Bravely to banquet when the brightlight of morning On the second day any warrior may go unmolested to the meadbanquet Which the second day bringeth the sun in its etherrobes Oer children of men shines from the southward Then the grayhaired warfamed giver of treasure Hrothgars spirits are revived Was blithesome and joyous the BrightDanish ruler Expected assistance the peoples protector The old king trusts Beowulf The heroes are joyful Heard from Beowulf his bold resolution There was laughter of heroes loud was the clatter The words were winsome Wealhtheow advanced then Queen Wealhtheow plays the hostess Consort of Hrothgar of courtesy mindful Golddecked saluted the men in the building And the freeborn woman the beaker presented She offers the cup to her husband first To the lord of the kingdom first of the EastDanes Bade him be blithesome when beer was aflowing Lief to his liegemen he lustily tasted Of banquet and beaker battlefamed ruler The Helmingish lady then graciously circled Mid all the liegemen lesser and greater She gives presents to the heroes Treasurecups tendered till time was afforded That the decorousmooded diademed folkqueen Then she offers the cup to Beowulf thanking God that aid has come Might bear to Beowulf the bumper oerrunning She greeted the Geatprince God she did thank Most wise in her words that her wish was accomplished That in any of earlmen she ever should look for Solace in sorrow He accepted the beaker Battlebold warrior at Wealhtheows giving Beowulf states to the queen the object of his visit Then equipped for combat quoth he in measures Beowulf spake offspring of Ecgtheow I purposed in spirit when I mounted the ocean I determined to do or die When I boarded my boat with a band of my liegemen I would work to the fullest the will of your people Or in foesclutches fastened fall in the battle Deeds I shall do of daring and prowess Or the last of my lifedays live in this meadhall These words to the lady were welcome and pleasing The boast of the Geatman with gold trappings broidered Went the freeborn folkqueen her fondlord to sit by Glee is high Then again as of yore was heard in the building Courtly discussion conquerors shouting Heroes were happy till Healfdenes son would Go to his slumber to seek for refreshing For the horrid hellmonster in the hallbuilding knew he A fight was determined since the light of the sun they No longer could see and lowering darkness Oer all had descended and dark under heaven Shadowy shapes came shying around them Hrothgar retires leaving Beowulf in charge of the hall The liegemen all rose then One saluted the other Hrothgar Beowulf in rhythmical measures Wishing him well and the wassailhall giving To his care and keeping quoth he departing Not to any one else have I ever entrusted But thee and thee only the hall of the Danemen Since high I could heave my hand and my buckler Take thou in charge now the noblest of houses Be mindful of honor exhibiting prowess Watch gainst the foeman Thou shalt want no enjoyments Survive thou safely adventure so glorious The repetition of hwere and is regarded by some scholars as a defect B suggests sw r for the first So there it befell me etc Another suggestion is to change the second hwere into sw r So there I escaped with my life etc Kl suggests a period after determined This would give the passage as follows Since they no longer could see the light of the sun and lowering darkness was down over all dire under the heavens shadowy beings came going around them XI ALL SLEEP SAVE ONE Hrothgar retires Then Hrothgar departed his earlthrong attending him Folklord of Scyldings forth from the building The warchieftain wished then Wealhtheow to look for The queen for a bedmate To keep away Grendel God has provided a watch for the hall The Glory of Kings had given a hallwatch As men heard recounted for the king of the Danemen He did special service gave the giant a watcher And the prince of the Geatmen implicitly trusted Beowulf is selfconfident His warlike strength and the Wielders protection He prepares for rest His armor of iron off him he did then His helmet from his head to his henchman committed His chasedhandled chainsword choicest of weapons And bade him bide with his battleequipments The good one then uttered words of defiance Beowulf Geatman ere his bed he upmounted Beowulf boasts of his ability to cope with Grendel I hold me no meaner in matters of prowess In warlike achievements than Grendel does himself Hence I seek not with swordedge to sooth him to slumber Of life to bereave him though well I am able We will fight with natures weapons only No battleskill has he that blows he should strike me To shatter my shield though sure he is mighty In strife and destruction but struggling by night we Shall do without edges dare he to look for Weaponless warfare and wisemooded Father The glory apportion God everholy God may decide who shall conquer On which hand soever to him seemeth proper Then the bravemooded hero bent to his slumber The pillow received the cheek of the noble The Geatish warriors lie down And many a martial merethane attending Sank to his slumber Seemed it unlikely They thought it very unlikely that they should ever see their homes again That ever thereafter any should hope to Be happy at home herofriends visit Or the lordly troopcastle where he lived from his childhood They had heard how slaughter had snatched from the winehall Had recently ravished of the race of the Scyldings But God raised up a deliverer Too many by far But the Lord to them granted The weaving of warspeed to Wederish heroes Aid and comfort that every opponent By one mans warmight they worsted and vanquished God rules the world By the might of himself the truth is established That God Almighty hath governed for ages Kindreds and nations A night very lurid Grendel comes to Heorot The travlerattwilight came tramping and striding The warriors were sleeping who should watch the hornedbuilding Only one warrior is awake One only excepted Mid earthmen twas stablished Th implacable foeman was powerless to hurl them To the land of shadows if the Lord were unwilling But serving as warder in terror to foemen He angrily bided the issue of battle Gr understood gdra as meaning advantages in battle This rendering HSo rejects The latter takes the passage as meaning that Grendel though mighty and formidable has no skill in the art of war B in his masterly articles on Beowulf P and B XII rejects the division usually made at this point usually rendered then he translates when and connects its clause with the foregoing sentence These changes he makes to reduce the number of cms as principal verbs Cf With all deference to this acute scholar I must say that it seems to me that the poet is exhausting his resources to bring out clearly the supreme event on which the whole subsequent action turns First he Grendel came in the wan night second he came from the moor third he came to the hall Time place from which place to which are all given XII GRENDEL AND BEOWULF Grendel comes from the fens Neath the cloudy cliffs came from the moor then Grendel going Gods anger bare he The monster intended some one of earthmen In the hallbuilding grand to entrap and make way with He goes towards the joyous building He went under welkin where well he knew of The winejoyous building brilliant with plating Goldhall of earthmen Not the earliest occasion This was not his first visit there He the home and manor of Hrothgar had sought Neer found he in lifedays later nor earlier Hardier hero hallthanes more sturdy Then came to the building the warrior marching His horrid fingers tear the door open Bereft of his joyance The door quickly opened On firehinges fastened when his fingers had touched it The fell one had flung thenhis fury so bitter Open the entrance Early thereafter The foeman trod the shining hallpavement He strides furiously into the hall Strode he angrily from the eyes of him glimmered A lustre unlovely likest to fire He beheld in the hall the heroes in numbers A circle of kinsmen sleeping together He exults over his supposed prey A throng of thanemen then his thoughts were exultant He minded to sunder from each of the thanemen The life from his body horrible demon Ere morning came since fate had allowed him Fate has decreed that he shall devour no more heroes Beowulf suffers from suspense The prospect of plenty Providence willed not To permit him any more of men under heaven To eat in the nighttime Higelacs kinsman Great sorrow endured how the diremooded creature In unlookedfor assaults were likely to bear him No thought had the monster of deferring the matter Grendel immediately seizes a sleeping warrior and devours him But on earliest occasion he quickly laid hold of A soldier asleep suddenly tore him Bit his boneprison the blood drank in currents Swallowed in mouthfuls he soon had the dead mans Feet and hands too eaten entirely Nearer he strode then the stouthearted warrior Beowulf and Grendel grapple Snatched as he slumbered seizing with handgrip Forward the foeman foined with his hand Caught he quickly the cunning deviser On his elbow he rested This early discovered The master of malice that in middleearths regions Neath the whole of the heavens no handgrapple greater The monster is amazed at Beowulfs strength In any man else had he ever encountered Fearful in spirit faintmooded waxed he Not off could betake him death he was pondering He is anxious to flee Would fly to his covert seek the devils assembly His calling no more was the same he had followed Long in his lifetime The liegekinsman worthy Beowulf recalls his boast of the evening and determines to fulfil it Of Higelac minded his speech of the evening Stood he up straight and stoutly did seize him His fingers crackled the giant was outward The earl stepped farther The famous one minded To flee away farther if he found an occasion And off and away avoiding delay To fly to the fenmoors he fully was ware of The strength of his grapple in the grip of the foeman Twas a luckless day for Grendel Twas an illtaken journey that the injurybringing Harrying harmer to Heorot wandered The hall groans The palace reechoed to all of the Danemen Dwellers in castles to each of the bold ones Earlmen was terror Angry they both were Archwarders raging Rattled the building Twas a marvellous wonder that the winehall withstood then The boldinbattle bent not to earthward Excellent earthhall but within and without it Was fastened so firmly in fetters of iron By the art of the armorer Off from the sill there Bent meadbenches many as men have informed me Adorned with goldwork where the grim ones did struggle The Scylding wise men weened neer before That by might and mainstrength a man under heaven Might break it in pieces bonedecked resplendent Crush it by cunning unless clutch of the fire In smoke should consume it The sound mounted upward Grendels cries terrify the Danes Novel enough on the North Danes fastened A terror of anguish on all of the men there Who heard from the wall the weeping and plaining The song of defeat from the foeman of heaven Heard him hymns of horror howl and his sorrow Hellbound bewailing He held him too firmly Who was strongest of mainstrength of men of that era B and tB emend so as to make lines and read Never in his life earlier or later had he the hellthane found a braver heroThey argue that Beowulfs companions had done nothing to merit such encomiums as the usual readings allow them For re rnweardas tB suggests re rnhearde Translate They were both angry raging and mighty XIII GRENDEL IS VANQUISHED Beowulf has no idea of letting Grendel live For no cause whatever would the earlmens defender Leave in lifejoys the loathsome newcomer He deemed his existence utterly useless To men under heaven Many a noble Of Beowulf brandished his battlesword old Would guard the life of his lord and protector The farfamous chieftain if able to do so While waging the warfare this wist they but little Brave battlethanes while his body intending No weapon would harm Grendel he bore a charmed life To slit into slivers and seeking his spirit That the relentless foeman nor finest of weapons Of all on the earth nor any of warbills Was willing to injure but weapons of victory Swords and suchlike he had sworn to dispense with His death at that time must prove to be wretched And the faraway spirit widely should journey Into enemies power This plainly he saw then Who with mirth of mood malice no little Had wrought in the past on the race of the earthmen To God he was hostile that his body would fail him But Higelacs hardy henchman and kinsman Held him by the hand hateful to other Grendel is sorely wounded Was each one if living A bodywound suffered The direful demon damage incurable His body bursts Was seen on his shoulder his sinews were shivered His body did burst To Beowulf was given Glory in battle Grendel from thenceward Must flee and hide him in the fencliffs and marshes Sick unto death his dwelling must look for Unwinsome and woful he wist the more fully The monster flees away to hide in the moors The end of his earthly existence was nearing His lifedays limits At last for the Danemen When the slaughter was over their wish was accomplished The comerfromfarland had cleansed then of evil Wise and valiant the warhall of Hrothgar Saved it from violence He joyed in the nightwork In repute for prowess the prince of the Geatmen For the EastDanish people his boast had accomplished Bettered their burdensome balesorrows fully The craftbegot evil they erstwhile had suffered And were forced to endure from crushing oppression Their manifold misery Twas a manifest token Beowulf suspends Grendels hand and arm in Heorot When the heroinbattle the hand suspended The arm and the shoulder there was all of the claw Of Grendel together neath greatstretching hallroof It has been proposed to translate myre by with sorrow but there seems no authority for such a rendering To the present translator the phrase mdes myre seems a mere padding for gladly ie he who gladly harassed mankind XIV REJOICING OF THE DANES At early dawn warriors from far and near come together to hear of the nights adventures In the mist of the morning many a warrior Stood round the gifthall as the story is told me Folkprinces fared then from far and from near Through longstretching journeys to look at the wonder The footprints of the foeman Few of the warriors Few warriors lamented Grendels destruction Who gazed on the foottracks of the inglorious creature His parting from life pained very deeply How weary in spirit off from those regions In combats conquered he carried his traces Fated and flying to the flood of the nickers Grendels blood dyes the waters There in bloody billows bubbled the currents The angry eddy was everywhere mingled And seething with gore welling with swordblood He deathdoomed had hid him when reaved of his joyance He laid down his life in the lair he had fled to His heathenish spirit where hell did receive him Thence the friends from of old backward turned them And many a younker from merry adventure Striding their stallions stout from the seaward Heroes on horses There were heard very often Beowulf is the hero of the hour Beowulfs praises many often asserted That neither south nor north in the circuit of waters He is regarded as a probable successor to Hrothgar Oer outstretching earthplain none other was better Mid bearers of warshields more worthy to govern Neath the arch of the ether Not any however Gainst the friendlord muttered mockingwords uttered But no word is uttered to derogate from the old king Of Hrothgar the gracious a good king he Oft the famed ones permitted their fallowskinned horses To run in rivalry racing and chasing Where the fieldways appeared to them fair and inviting Known for their excellence oft a thane of the folklord The gleeman sings the deeds of heroes A man of celebrity mindful of rhythms Who ancient traditions treasured in memory New wordgroups found properly bound The bard after gan then Beowulfs venture He sings in alliterative measures of Beowulfs prowess Wisely to tell of and words that were clever To utter skilfully earnestly speaking Everything told he that he heard as to Sigmunds Also of Sigemund who has slain a great firedragon Mighty achievements many things hidden The strife of the Wlsing the widegoing ventures The children of men knew of but little The feud and the fury but Fitela with him When suchlike matters he minded to speak of Uncle to nephew as in every contention Each to other was ever devoted A numerous host of the race of the scathers They had slain with the swordedge To Sigmund accrued then No little of glory when his lifedays were over Since he sturdy in struggle had destroyed the great dragon The hoardtreasures keeper neath the hoargrayish stone he The son of the atheling unaided adventured The perilous project not present was Fitela Yet the fortune befell him of forcing his weapon Through the marvellous dragon that it stood in the wall Wellhonored weapon the worm was slaughtered The great one had gained then by his glorious achievement To reap from the ringhoard richest enjoyment As best it did please him his vessel he loaded Shining ornaments on the ships bosom carried Kinsman of Wls the drake in heat melted Sigemund was widely famed He was farthest famed of fugitive pilgrims Mid widescattered worldfolk for works of great prowess Wartroopers shelter hence waxed he in honor Heremod an unfortunate Danish king is introduced by way of contrast Afterward Heremods herostrength failed him His vigor and valor Mid venomous haters To the hands of foemen he was foully delivered Offdriven early Agonybillows Unlike Sigemund and Beowulf Heremod was a burden to his people Oppressed him too long to his people he became then To all the athelings an evergreat burden And the daring ones journey in days of yore Many wise men were wont to deplore Such as hoped he would bring them help in their sorrow That the son of their ruler should rise into power Holding the headship held by his fathers Should govern the people the goldhoard and borough The kingdom of heroes the realm of the Scyldings Beowulf is an honor to his race He to all men became then far more beloved Higelacs kinsman to kindreds and races To his friends much dearer him malice assaulted The story is resumed Oft running and racing on roadsters they measured The duncolored highways Then the light of the morning Was hurried and hastened Went henchmen in numbers To the beautiful building bold ones in spirit To look at the wonder the liegelord himself then From his wifebower wending warden of treasures Glorious trod with troopers unnumbered Famed for his virtues and with him the queenwife Measured the meadways with maidens attending S emends suggesting dop for dog and removing semicolon after wol The two halflines welling hid him would then read The bloody deep welled with swordgore B accepts dop for dog but reads dafges The deep boiled with the swordgore of the deathdoomed one Another and quite different rendering of this passage is as follows Oft a liegeman of the king a famecovered man mindful of songs who very many ancient traditions remembered he found other wordgroups accurately bound together began afterward to tell of Beowulfs adventure skilfully to narrate it etc Might guma gilphladen mean a man laden with boasts of the deeds of others tB accepts Bs h s ron h as given by HSo but puts a comma after h and takes sian as introducing a dependent clause He throve in honor since Heremods strength had decreased XV HROTHGARS GRATITUDE Hrothgar discoursed to the hallbuilding went he He stood by the pillar saw the steeprising hallroof Gleaming with goldgems and Grendel his hand there Hrothgar gives thanks for the overthrow of the monster For the sight we behold now thanks to the Wielder Early be offered Much evil I bided Snaring from Grendel God can eer complish Wonder on wonder Wielder of Glory I had given up all hope when this brave liegeman came to our aid But lately I reckoned neer under heaven Comfort to gain me for any of sorrows While the handsomest of houses horrid with bloodstain Gory uptowered grief had offfrightened Each of the wise ones who weened not that ever The folktroops defences gainst foes they should strengthen Gainst sprites and monsters Through the might of the Wielder A doughty retainer hath a deed now accomplished Which erstwhile we all with our excellent wisdom If his mother yet liveth well may she thank God for this son Failed to perform May affirm very truly What woman soever in all of the nations Gave birth to the child if yet she surviveth That the longruling Lord was lavish to herward In the birth of the bairn Now Beowulf dear Hereafter Beowulf thou shalt be my son Most excellent hero Ill love thee in spirit As bairn of my body bear well henceforward The relationship new No lack shall befall thee Of earthjoys any I ever can give thee Full often for lesser service Ive given Hero less hardy hoardtreasure precious Thou hast won immortal distinction To a weaker in warstrife By works of distinction Thou hast gained for thyself now that thy glory shall flourish Forever and ever The AllRuler quite thee With good from His hand as He hitherto did thee Beowulf replies I was most happy to render thee this service Beowulf answered Ecgtheows offspring That labor of glory most gladly achieved we The combat accomplished unquailing we ventured The enemys grapple I would grant it much rather Thou wert able to look at the creature in person Faint unto falling the foe in his trappings On murderbed quickly I minded to bind him With firmholding fetters that forced by my grapple Low he should lie in lifeanddeath struggle Less his body escape I was wholly unable I could not keep the monster from escaping as God did not will that I should Since God did not will it to keep him from going Not held him that firmly hated opposer Too swift was the foeman Yet safety regarding He suffered his hand behind him to linger His arm and shoulder to act as watcher He left his hand and arm behind No shadow of solace the woebegone creature Found him there nathless the hated destroyer Liveth no longer lashed for his evils But sorrow hath seized him in snaremeshes hath him Close in its clutches keepeth him writhing In baleful bonds there banished for evil The man shall wait for the mighty tribunal God will give him his deserts How the God of glory shall give him his earnings Then the soldier kept silent son of old Ecglaf Unferth has nothing more to say for Beowulfs actions speak louder than words From boasting and bragging of battleachievements Since the princes beheld there the hand that depended Neath the lofty halltimbers by the might of the nobleman Each one before him the enemys fingers Each fingernail strong steel most resembled The heathen ones handspur the heroinbattles Claw most uncanny quoth they agreeing No sword will harm the monster That not any excellent edges of brave ones Was willing to touch him the terrible creatures Battlehand bloody to bear away from him B and tB read staole and translate stood on the floor For snaring from Grendel sorrows at Grendels hands has been suggested This gives a parallel to les Grynna may well be gen pl of gyrn by a scribal slip The HSo punctuation has been followed but B has been followed in understanding gehwylcne as object of wdscofen hfde Gr construes wa as nom abs XVI HROTHGAR LAVISHES GIFTS UPON HIS DELIVERER Heorot is adorned with hands Then straight was ordered that Heorot inside With hands be embellished a host of them gathered Of men and women who the wassailingbuilding The guesthall begeared Goldflashing sparkled Webs on the walls then of wonders a many To each of the heroes that look on such objects The hall is defaced however The beautiful building was broken to pieces Which all within with irons was fastened Its hinges torn off only the roof was Whole and uninjured when the horrible creature Outlawed for evil off had betaken him Hopeless of living Tis hard to avoid it A vague passage of five verses Whoever will do it but he doubtless must come to The place awaiting as Wyrd hath appointed Soulbearers earthdwellers earls under heaven Where bound on its bed his body shall slumber Hrothgar goes to the banquet When feasting is finished Full was the time then That the son of Healfdene went to the building The excellent atheling would eat of the banquet Neer heard I that people with heroband larger Bare them better towrds their braceletbestower The ladenwithglory stooped to the bench then Their kinsmencompanions in plenty were joyful Many a cupful quaffing complaisantly Doughty of spirit in the hightowring palace Hrothgars nephew Hrothulf is present Hrothgar and Hrothulf Heorot then inside Was filled with friendly ones falsehood and treachery The FolkScyldings now nowise did practise Hrothgar lavishes gifts upon Beowulf Then the offspring of Healfdene offered to Beowulf A golden standard as reward for the victory A banner embossed burnie and helmet Many men saw then a songfamous weapon Borne fore the hero Beowulf drank of The cup in the building that treasurebestowing He needed not blush for in battlemens presence Four handsomer gifts were never presented Neer heard I that many men on the alebench In friendlier fashion to their fellows presented Four bright jewels with goldwork embellished Round the roof of the helmet a headguarder outside Braided with wires with bosses was furnished That swordsforthebattle fighthardened might fail Boldly to harm him when the hero proceeded Hrothgar commands that eight finely caparisoned steeds be brought to Beowulf Forth against foemen The defender of earls then Commanded that eight steeds with bridles Goldplated gleaming be guided to hallward Inside the building on one of them stood then An artbroidered saddle embellished with jewels Twas the sovereigns seat when the son of King Healfdene Was pleased to take part in the play of the edges The famous ones valor neer failed at the front when Slain ones were bowing And to Beowulf granted The prince of the Ingwins power over both Oer warsteeds and weapons bade him well to enjoy them In so manly a manner the mightyfamed chieftain Hoardward of heroes with horses and jewels Warstorms requited that none eer condemneth Who willeth to tell truth with full justice Kl suggests hroden for hten and renders Then quickly was Heorot adorned within with hands bedeckedB suggests gefrtwon instead of gefrtwod and renders Then was it commanded to adorn Heorot within quickly with handsThe former has the advantage of affording a parallel to gefrtwod both have the disadvantage of altering the text The passage seems to be hopeless One difficult point is to find a subject for gesacan Some say he others supply each ie every soulbearer must gain the inevitable place The genitives in this case are partitiveIf he be subj the genitives are dependent on gearwe preparedThe he itself is disputed some referring it to Grendel but B takes it as involved in the parenthesis XVII BANQUET continuedTHE SCOPS SONG OF FINN AND HNF Each of Beowulfs companions receives a costly gift And the atheling of earlmen to each of the heroes Who the ways of the waters went with Beowulf A costly gifttoken gave on the meadbench Offered an heirloom and ordered that that man The warrior killed by Grendel is to be paid for in gold With gold should be paid for whom Grendel had erstwhile Wickedly slaughtered as he more of them had done Had farseeing God and the mood of the hero The fate not averted the Father then governed All of the earthdwellers as He ever is doing Hence insight for all men is everywhere fittest Forethought of spirit much he shall suffer Of lief and of loathsome who long in this present Useth the world in this woful existence There was music and merriment mingling together Hrothgars scop recalls events in the reign of his lords father Touching Healfdenes leader the joywood was fingered Measures recited when the singer of Hrothgar On meadbench should mention the merry halljoyance Of the kinsmen of Finn when onset surprised them Hnf the Danish general is treacherously attacked while staying at Finns castle The HalfDanish hero Hnf of the Scyldings On the field of the Frisians was fated to perish Sure Hildeburg needed not mention approving The faith of the Jutemen though blameless entirely Queen Hildeburg is not only wife of Finn but a kinswoman of the murdered Hnf When shields were shivered she was shorn of her darlings Of bairns and brothers they bent to their fate With warspear wounded woe was that woman Not causeless lamented the daughter of Hoce The decree of the Wielder when morninglight came and She was able neath heaven to behold the destruction Of brothers and bairns where the brightest of earthjoys Finns force is almost exterminated She had hitherto had all the henchmen of Finn War had offtaken save a handful remaining That he nowise was able to offer resistance Hengest succeeds Hnf as Danish general To the onset of Hengest in the parley of battle Nor the wretched remnant to rescue in war from The earl of the atheling but they offered conditions Compact between the Frisians and the Danes Another great building to fully make ready A hall and a highseat that half they might rule with The sons of the Jutemen and that Folcwaldas son would Day after day the Danemen honor When gifts were giving and grant of his ringstore To Hengests earltroop ever so freely Of his goldplated jewels as he encouraged the Frisians Equality of gifts agreed on On the bench of the beerhall On both sides they swore then A fastbinding compact Finn unto Hengest With no thought of revoking vowed then most solemnly The woebegone remnant well to take charge of His Witan advising the agreement should no one By words or works weaken and shatter By artifice ever injure its value Though reaved of their ruler their ringgivers slayer They followed as vassals Fate so requiring No one shall refer to old grudges Then if one of the Frisians the quarrel should speak of In tones that were taunting terrible edges Should cut in requital Accomplished the oath was And treasure of gold from the hoard was uplifted Danish warriors are burned on a funeralpyre The best of the Scylding braves was then fully Prepared for the pile at the pyre was seen clearly The bloodgory burnie the boar with his gilding The ironhard swine athelings many Fatally wounded no few had been slaughtered Hildeburg bade then at the burning of Hnf Queen Hildeburg has her son burnt along with Hnf The bairn of her bosom to bear to the fire That his body be burned and borne to the pyre The woestricken woman wept on his shoulder In measures lamented upmounted the hero The greatest of deadfires curled to the welkin On the hillsfront crackled heads were amelting Wounddoors bursting while the blood was acoursing From bodybite fierce The fire devoured them Greediest of spirits whom war had offcarried From both of the peoples their bravest were fallen For R suggests wiht Hengeste wi gefeohtanK suggests wi Hengeste wiht gefeohtan Neither emendation would make any essential change in the translation The separation of adjective and noun by a phrase cf v being very unusual some scholars have put earme on eaxle with the foregoing lines inserting a semicolon after eaxle In this case on eaxe ie on the ashes cinders is sometimes read and this affords a parallel to on bl Let us hope that a satisfactory rendering shall yet be reached without resorting to any tampering with the text such as Lichtenheld proposed earme ides on eaxle gnornode For grinc grc battlesmoke has been suggested XVIII THE FINN EPISODE continuedTHE BANQUET CONTINUES The survivors go to Friesland the home of Finn Then the warriors departed to go to their dwellings Reaved of their friends Friesland to visit Their homes and highcity Hengest continued Hengest remains there all winter unable to get away Biding with Finn the bloodtainted winter Wholly unsundered of fatherland thought he Though unable to drive the ringstemmd vessel Oer the ways of the waters the wavedeeps were tossing Fought with the wind winter in icebonds Closed up the currents till there came to the dwelling A year in its course as yet it revolveth If season propitious one alway regardeth Worldcheering weathers Then winter was gone Earths bosom was lovely the exile would get him He devises schemes of vengeance The guest from the palace on grewsomest vengeance He brooded more eager than on oversea journeys Wher onsetofanger he were able to complish The bairns of the Jutemen therein to remember Nowise refused he the duties of liegeman When Hun of the Frisians the battlesword Lfing Fairest of falchions friendly did give him Its edges were famous in folktalk of Jutland And savage swordfury seized in its clutches Boldmooded Finn where he bode in his palace Guthlaf and Oslaf revenge Hnfs slaughter When the grewsome grapple Guthlaf and Oslaf Had mournfully mentioned the merejourney over For sorrows halfblamed him the flickering spirit Could not bide in his bosom Then the building was covered Finn is slain With corpses of foemen and Finn too was slaughtered The king with his comrades and the queen made a prisoner The jewels of Finn and his queen are carried away by the Danes The troops of the Scyldings bore to their vessels All that the landking had in his palace Such trinkets and treasures they took as on searching At Finns they could find They ferried to Daneland The excellent woman on oversea journey The lay is concluded and the main story is resumed Led her to their landfolk The lay was concluded The gleemans recital Shouts again rose then Benchglee resounded bearers then offered Skinkers carry round the beaker Wine from wondervats Wealhtheo advanced then Going neath goldcrown where the good ones were seated Queen Wealhtheow greets Hrothgar as he sits beside Hrothulf his nephew Uncle and nephew their peace was yet mutual True each to the other And Unferth the spokesman Sat at the feet of the lord of the Scyldings Each trusted his spirit that his mood was courageous Though at fight he had failed in faith to his kinsmen Said the queen of the Scyldings My lord and protector Treasurebestower take thou this beaker Joyance attend thee goldfriend of heroes Be generous to the Geats And greet thou the Geatmen with gracious responses So ought one to do Be kind to the Geatmen In gifts not niggardly anear and afar now Peace thou enjoyest Report hath informed me Thoult have for a bairn the battlebrave hero Now is Heorot cleansd ringpalace gleaming Have as much joy as possible in thy hall once more purified Give while thou mayest many rewards And bequeath to thy kinsmen kingdom and people On wending thy way to the Wielders splendor I know good Hrothulf that the noble young troopers I know that Hrothulf will prove faithful if he survive thee Hell care for and honor lord of the Scyldings If earthjoys thou endest earlier than he doth I reckon that recompense hell render with kindness Our offspring and issue if that all he remember What favors of yore when he yet was an infant We awarded to him for his worship and pleasure Then she turned by the bench where her sons were carousing Hrethric and Hrothmund and the heroes offspring Beowulf is sitting by the two royal sons The waryouth together there the good one was sitting Twixt the brothers twain Beowulf Geatman For R and Gr suggest elne unflitme as reads The latter verse is undisputed and for the former elne would be as possible as ealles and unflitme is well supported Accepting elne unflitme for both I would suggest very peaceably for both places Finn to Hengest very peaceably vowed with oaths etc Hengest then still the slaughterstained winter remained there with Finn very peaceably The two passages become thus correlatives the second a sequel of the first Elne in the sense of very swe needs no argument and unflitme from fltan can it seems to me be more plausibly rendered peaceful peaceable than contestable or conquerable Some scholars have proposed roden the line would then read Then the building was reddened etc instead of covered The h may have been carried over from the three alliterating hs XIX BEOWULF RECEIVES FURTHER HONOR More gifts are offered Beowulf A beaker was borne him and bidding to quaff it Graciously given and gold that was twisted Pleasantly proffered a pair of armjewels Rings and corslet of collars the greatest Ive heard of neath heaven Of heroes not any More splendid from jewels have I heard neath the welkin A famous necklace is referred to in comparison with the gems presented to Beowulf Since Hama off bore the Brosingmens necklace The bracteates and jewels from the brightshining city Eormenrics cunning craftiness fled from Chose gain everlasting Geatish Higelac Grandson of Swerting last had this jewel When tramping neath banner the treasure he guarded The fieldspoil defended Fate offcarried him When for deeds of daring he endured tribulation Hate from the Frisians the ornaments bare he Oer the cup of the currents costly gemtreasures Mighty folkleader he fell neath his target The corpse of the king then came into charge of The race of the Frankmen the mailshirt and collar Warmen less noble plundered the fallen When the fight was finished the folk of the Geatmen The field of the dead held in possession The choicest of meadhalls with cheering resounded Wealhtheo discoursed the wartroop addressed she Queen Wealhtheow magnifies Beowulfs achievements This collar enjoy thou Beowulf worthy Young man in safety and use thou this armor Gems of the people and prosper thou fully Show thyself sturdy and be to these liegemen Mild with instruction Ill mind thy requital Thou hast brought it to pass that far and near Forever and ever earthmen shall honor thee Even so widely as ocean surroundeth The blustering bluffs Be while thou livest A wealthblessd atheling I wish thee most truly May gifts never fail thee Jewels and treasure Be kind to my son thou Living in joyance Here each of the nobles Is true unto other gentle in spirit Loyal to leader The liegemen are peaceful The wartroops ready welldrunken heroes Do as I bid ye Then she went to the settle There was choicest of banquets wine drank the heroes They little know of the sorrow in store for them Weird they knew not destiny cruel As to many an earlman early it happened When evening had come and Hrothgar had parted Off to his manor the mighty to slumber Warriors unnumbered warded the building As erst they did often the alesettle bared they Twas covered all over with beds and pillows A doomed thane is there with them Doomed unto death down to his slumber Bowed then a beerthane Their battleshields placed they Brightshining targets up by their heads then Oer the atheling on alebench twas easy to see there Battlehigh helmet burnie of ringmail They were always ready for battle And mighty warspear Twas the wont of that people To constantly keep them equipped for the battle At home or marchingin either condition At seasons just such as necessity ordered As best for their ruler that people was worthy C suggests a semicolon after city with he as supplied subject of fled and chose For feorh S suggests feoh corpse in the translation would then be changed to possessions belongings This is a better reading than one joining in such intimate syntactical relations things so unlike as corpse and jewels S suggests winejoyous heroes warriors elated with wine I believe this translation brings out the meaning of the poet without departing seriously from the HSo text Oft frequently means constantly continually not always oftenWhy an on wg gearwe should be written nwggearwe ready for single combat I cannot see Gearwe occurs quite frequently with on cf B ready for the pyre El ready for the glad journey Moreover what has the idea of single combat to do with B ff The poet is giving an inventory of the arms and armor which they lay aside on retiring and he closes his narration by saying that they were always prepared for battle both at home and on the march XX THE MOTHER OF GRENDEL They sank then to slumber With sorrow one paid for His evening repose as often betid them While Grendel was holding the goldbedecked palace Illdeeds performing till his end overtook him Death for his sins Twas seen very clearly Grendels mother is known to be thirsting for revenge Known unto earthfolk that still an avenger Outlived the loathed one long since the sorrow Caused by the struggle the mother of Grendel Devilshaped woman her woe ever minded Who was held to inhabit the horrible waters Grendels progenitor Cain is again referred to The coldflowing currents after Cain had become a Slayerwithedges to his one only brother The son of his sire he set out then banished Marked as a murderer manjoys avoiding Lived in the desert Thence demons unnumbered The poet again magnifies Beowulfs valor Fatesent awoke one of them Grendel Swordcursd hateful who at Heorot met with A man that was watching waiting the struggle Where a horrid one held him with handgrapple sturdy Nathless he minded the might of his body The glorious gift God had allowed him And folkruling Fathers favor relied on His help and His comfort so he conquered the foeman The hellspirit humbled he unhappy departed then Reaved of his joyance journeying to deathhaunts Foeman of man His mother moreover Grendels mother comes to avenge her son Eager and gloomy was anxious to go on Her mournful mission mindful of vengeance For the death of her son She came then to Heorot Where the ArmorDane earlmen all through the building Were lying in slumber Soon there became then Return to the nobles when the mother of Grendel Entered the folkhall the fear was less grievous By even so much as the vigor of maidens Warstrength of women by warrior is reckoned When wellcarved weapon worked with the hammer Blade very bloody brave with its edges Strikes down the boarsign that stands on the helmet Then the hardedgd weapon was heaved in the building The brand oer the benches broadlindens many Handfast were lifted for helmet he recked not For armornet broad whom terror laid hold of She went then hastily outward would get her Her life for to save when some one did spy her She seizes a favorite liegemen of Hrothgars Soon she had grappled one of the athelings Fast and firmly when fenward she hied her That one to Hrothgar was liefest of heroes In rank of retainer where waters encircle A mighty shieldwarrior whom she murdered at slumber A broadlyfamed battleknight Beowulf was absent Beowulf was asleep in another part of the palace But another apartment was erstwhile devoted To the glorydecked Geatman when gold was distributed There was hubbub in Heorot The hand that was famous She grasped in its gore grief was renewed then In homes and houses twas no happy arrangement In both of the quarters to barter and purchase With lives of their friends Then the wellagd ruler The grayheaded warthane was woful in spirit When his longtrusted liegeman lifeless he knew of Beowulf is sent for His dearest one gone Quick from a room was Beowulf brought brave and triumphant As day was dawning in the dusk of the morning He comes at Hrothgars summons Went then that earlman champion noble Came with comrades where the clever one bided Whether God all gracious would grant him a respite After the woe he had suffered The warworthy hero With a troop of retainers trod then the pavement The hallbuilding groaned till he greeted the wise one Beowulf inquires how Hrothgar had enjoyed his nights rest The earl of the Ingwins asked if the night had Fully refreshed him as fain he would have it Several eminent authorities either read or emend the MS so as to make this verse read While Grendel was wasting the goldbedecked palace So below ravaged the desert For sna tB suggests sra limiting edhwyrft Read then Return of sorrows to the nobles etc This emendation supplies the syntactical gap after edhwyrft Some authorities follow Greins lexicon in treating heard ecg as an adj limiting sweord HSo renders it as a subst So v The sense of the translation would be the same B suggests under hrf genam v This emendation as well as an emendation with to v he offers because under baffles him in both passages All we need is to take under in its secondary meaning of in which though not given by Grein occurs in the literature Cf Chron Marchs AS Gram and Oro Amaz I where under in the midst of Cf modern Eng in such circumstances which interchanges in good usage with under such circumstances For nodlau C suggests nadlum and translates asked whether the night had been pleasant to him after crushinghostility XXI HROTHGARS ACCOUNT OF THE MONSTERS Hrothgar laments the death of schere his shouldercompanion Hrothgar rejoined helm of the Scyldings Ask not of joyance Grief is renewed to The folk of the Danemen Dead is schere Yrmenlafs brother older than he My truehearted counsellor trusty adviser Shouldercompanion when fighting in battle Our heads we protected when troopers were clashing He was my ideal hero And heroes were dashing such an earl should be ever An erstworthy atheling as schere proved him The flickering deathspirit became in Heorot His handtohand murderer I can not tell whither The cruel one turned in the carcass exulting This horrible creature came to avenge Grendels death By cramming discovered The quarrel she wreaked then That last night igone Grendel thou killedst In grewsomest manner with grimholding clutches Since too long he had lessened my liegetroop and wasted My folkmen so foully He fell in the battle With forfeit of life and another has followed A mighty crimeworker her kinsman avenging And henceforth hath stablished her hatred unyielding As it well may appear to many a liegeman Who mourneth in spirit the treasurebestower Her heavy heartsorrow the hand is now lifeless Which availed you in every wish that you cherished I have heard my vassals speak of these two uncanny monsters who lived in the moors Landpeople heard I liegemen this saying Dwellers in halls they had seen very often A pair of such mighty marchstriding creatures Fardwelling spirits holding the moorlands One of them wore as well they might notice The image of woman the other one wretched In guise of a man wandered in exile Except he was huger than any of earthmen Earthdwelling people entitled him Grendel In days of yore they know not their father Wher illgoing spirits any were borne him The inhabit the most desolate and horrible places Ever before They guard the wolfcoverts Lands inaccessible windbeaten nesses Fearfullest fendeeps where a flood from the mountains Neath mists of the nesses netherward rattles The stream under earth not far is it henceward Measured by milelengths that the merewater standeth Which forests hang over with frostwhiting covered A firmrooted forest the floods overshadow There ever at night one an illmeaning portent A fireflood may see mong children of men None liveth so wise that wot of the bottom Though harassed by hounds the heathstepper seek for Even the hounded deer will not seek refuge in these uncanny regions Fly to the forest firmantlered hedeer Spurred from afar his spirit he yieldeth His life on the shore ere in he will venture To cover his head Uncanny the place is Thence upward ascendeth the surging of waters Wan to the welkin when the wind is stirring The weathers unpleasing till the air groweth gloomy To thee only can I look for assistance And the heavens lower Now is help to be gotten From thee and thee only The abode thou knowst not The dangerous place where thourt able to meet with The sinladen hero seek if thou darest For the feud I will fully fee thee with money With oldtime treasure as erstwhile I did thee With welltwisted jewels if away thou shalt get thee For gefrgnod K and tB suggest gefgnod rendering rejoicing in her fill This gives a parallel to se wlanc The line And yielding B renders And she has performed a deed of bloodvengeance whose effect is farreaching S e is an instance of masc rel with fem antecedent So v where s e refers to yldo For hrmge in the HSo edition Gr and others read hrnde hrnende and translate which rustling forests overhang XXII BEOWULF SEEKS GRENDELS MOTHER Beowulf answered Ecgtheows son Beowulf exhorts the old king to arouse himself for action Grieve not O wise one for each it is better His friend to avenge than with vehemence wail him Each of us must the endday abide of His earthly existence who is able accomplish Glory ere death To battlethane noble Lifeless lying tis at last most fitting Arise O king quick let us hasten To look at the footprint of the kinsman of Grendel I promise thee this now to his place hell escape not To embrace of the earth nor to mountainous forest Nor to depths of the ocean wherever he wanders Practice thou now patient endurance Of each of thy sorrows as I hope for thee soothly Hrothgar rouses himself His horse is brought Then up sprang the old one the AllWielder thanked he Ruler Almighty that the man had outspoken Then for Hrothgar a warhorse was decked with a bridle Curlymaned courser The clever folkleader They start on the track of the female monster Stately proceeded stepped then an earltroop Of lindenwood bearers Her footprints were seen then Widely in woodpaths her way oer the bottoms Where she faraway fared oer fencountry murky Bore away breathless the best of retainers Who pondered with Hrothgar the welfare of country The son of the athelings then went oer the stony Declivitous cliffs the closecovered passes Narrow passages paths unfrequented Nesses abrupt nickerhaunts many One of a few of wisemooded heroes He onward advanced to view the surroundings Till he found unawares woods of the mountain Oer hoarstones hanging holtwood unjoyful The water stood under welling and gory Twas irksome in spirit to all of the Danemen Friends of the Scyldings to many a liegeman The sight of scheres head causes them great sorrow Sad to be suffered a sorrow unlittle To each of the earlmen when to scheres head they Came on the cliff The current was seething With blood and with gore the troopers gazed on it The horn anon sang the battlesong ready The troop were all seated they saw long the water then The water is filled with serpents and seadragons Many a serpent meredragons wondrous Trying the waters nickers alying On the cliffs of the nesses which at noonday full often Go on the seadeeps their sorrowful journey Wildbeasts and wormkind away then they hastened One of them is killed by Beowulf Hotmooded hateful they heard the great clamor The wartrumpet winding One did the Geatprince Sunder from earthjoys with arrow from bowstring From his seastruggle tore him that the trusty warmissile The dead beast is a poor swimmer Pierced to his vitals he proved in the currents Less doughty at swimming whom death had offcarried Soon in the waters the wonderful swimmer Was straitened most sorely with swordpointed boarspears Pressed in the battle and pulled to the cliffedge The liegemen then looked on the loathfashioned stranger Beowulf prepares for a struggle with the monster Beowulf donned then his battleequipments Cared little for life inlaid and most ample The handwoven corslet which could cover his body Must the wavedeeps explore that war might be powerless To harm the great hero and the hating ones grasp might Not peril his safety his head was protected By the lightflashing helmet that should mix with the bottoms Trying the eddies treasureemblazoned Encircled with jewels as in seasons long past The weaponsmith worked it wondrously made it With swinebodies fashioned it that thenceforward no longer Brand might bite it and battlesword hurt it And that was not least of helpers in prowess He has Unferths sword in his hand That Hrothgars spokesman had lent him when straitened And the hilted handsword was Hrunting entitled Old and most excellent mong all of the treasures Its blade was of iron blotted with poison Hardened with gore it failed not in battle Any hero under heaven in hand who it brandished Who ventured to take the terrible journeys The battlefield sought not the earliest occasion That deeds of daring twas destined to complish Unferth has little use for swords Ecglafs kinsman minded not soothly Exulting in strength what erst he had spoken Drunken with wine when the weapon he lent to A swordhero bolder himself did not venture Neath the strife of the currents his life to endanger To famedeeds perform there he forfeited glory Repute for his strength Not so with the other When he clad in his corslet had equipped him for battle XXIII BEOWULFS FIGHT WITH GRENDELS MOTHER Beowulf makes a parting speech to Hrothgar Beowulf spake Ecgtheows son Recall now oh famous kinsman of Healfdene Prince very prudent now to part I am ready Goldfriend of earlmen what erst we agreed on If I fail act as a kind liegelord to my thanes Should I lay down my life in lending thee assistance When my earthjoys were over thou wouldst evermore serve me In stead of a father my faithful thanemen My trusty retainers protect thou and care for Fall I in battle and Hrothgar belovd and send Higelac the jewels thou hast given me Send unto Higelac the highvalued jewels Thou to me hast allotted The lord of the Geatmen May perceive from the gold the Hrethling may see it I should like my king to know how generous a lord I found thee to be When he looks on the jewels that a gemgiver found I Good overmeasure enjoyed him while able And the ancient heirloom Unferth permit thou The famed one to have the heavysword splendid The hardedgd weapon with Hrunting to aid me I shall gain me glory or grimdeath shall take me Beowulf is eager for the fray The atheling of Geatmen uttered these words and Heroic did hasten not any rejoinder Was willing to wait for the wavecurrent swallowed He is a whole day reaching the bottom of the sea The doughtyinbattle Then a dayslength elapsed ere He was able to see the sea at its bottom Early she found then who fifty of winters The course of the currents kept in her fury Grisly and greedy that the grim ones dominion Grendels mother knows that some one has reached her domains Some one of men from above was exploring Forth did she grab them grappled the warrior With horrible clutches yet no sooner she injured His body unscathd the burnie outguarded That she proved but powerless to pierce through the armor The limbmail locked with loathgrabbing fingers The seawolf bare then when bottomward came she She grabs him and bears him to her den The ringprince homeward that he after was powerless He had daring to do it to deal with his weapons But many a merebeast tormented him swimming Seamonsters bite and strike him Floodbeasts no few with fiercebiting tusks did Break through his burnie the brave one pursued they The earl then discovered he was down in some cavern Where no water whatever anywise harmed him And the clutch of the current could come not anear him Since the roofedhall prevented brightness agleaming Firelight he saw flashing resplendent The good one saw then the seabottoms monster Beowulf attacks the mother of Grendel The mighty merewoman he made a great onset With weaponofbattle his hand not desisted From striking that warblade struck on her head then A battlesong greedy The stranger perceived then The sword will not bite The sword would not bite her life would not injure But the falchion failed the folkprince when straitened Erst had it often onsets encountered Oft cloven the helmet the fated ones armor Twas the first time that ever the excellent jewel Had failed of its fame Firmmooded after Not heedless of valor but mindful of glory Was Higelacs kinsman the herochief angry Cast then his carvedsword covered with jewels That it lay on the earth hard and steelpointed The hero throws down all weapons and again trusts to his handgrip He hoped in his strength his handgrapple sturdy So any must act whenever he thinketh To gain him in battle glory unending And is reckless of living The lord of the WarGeats He shrank not from battle seized by the shoulder The mother of Grendel then mighty in struggle Swung he his enemy since his anger was kindled That she fell to the floor With furious grapple Beowulf falls She gave him requital early thereafter And stretched out to grab him the strongest of warriors Faintmooded stumbled till he fell in his traces The monster sits on him with drawn sword Footgoing champion Then she sat on the hallguest And wielded her warknife widebladed flashing For her son would take vengeance her one only bairn His armor saves his life His breastarmor woven bode on his shoulder It guarded his life the entrance defended Gainst swordpoint and edges Ecgtheows son there Had fatally journeyed champion of Geatmen In the arms of the ocean had the armor not given Closewoven corslet comfort and succor God arranged for his escape And had God most holy not awarded the victory Allknowing Lord easily did heavens Ruler most righteous arrange it with justice Uprose he erect ready for battle Kl emends wlsweord The halfline would then read the battlesword splendidFor heardecg in next halfverse see note to above Sw R and tB suggest feaxe for eaxle and render Seized by the hair If handlan be accepted as the MS has it the line will read She handreward gave him early thereafter Sw and S change HSos semicolon v to a comma and translate The Ruler of Heaven arranged it in justice easily after he arose again XXIV BEOWULF IS DOUBLECONQUEROR Beowulf grasps a giantsword Then he saw mid the wargems a weapon of victory An ancient giantsword of edges adoughty Glory of warriors of weapons twas choicest Only twas larger than any man else was Able to bear to the battleencounter The good and splendid work of the giants He grasped then the swordhilt knight of the Scyldings Bold and battlegrim brandished his ringsword Hopeless of living hotly he smote her That the fiendwomans neck firmly it grappled and fells the female monster Broke through her bonejoints the bill fully pierced her Fatecursd body she fell to the ground then The handsword was bloody the hero exulted The brand was brilliant brightly it glimmered Just as from heaven gemlike shineth The torch of the firmament He glanced long the building And turned by the wall then Higelacs vassal Raging and wrathful raised his battlesword Strong by the handle The edge was not useless To the heroinbattle but he speedily wished to Give Grendel requital for the many assaults he Had worked on the WestDanes not once but often When he slew in slumber the subjects of Hrothgar Swallowed down fifteen sleeping retainers Of the folk of the Danemen and fully as many Carried away a horrible prey He gave him requital grimraging champion Beowulf sees the body of Grendel and cuts off his head When he saw on his restplace weary of conflict Grendel lying of lifejoys bereavd As the battle at Heorot erstwhile had scathed him His body far bounded a blow when he suffered Death having seized him swordsmiting heavy And he cut off his head then Early this noticed The clever carles who as comrades of Hrothgar The waters are gory Gazed on the seadeeps that the surging wavecurrents Were mightily mingled the mereflood was gory Of the good one the grayhaired together held converse Beowulf is given up for dead The hoary of head that they hoped not to see again The atheling ever that exulting in victory Hed return there to visit the distinguished folkruler Then many concluded the merewolf had killed him The ninth hour came then From the nessedge departed The boldmooded Scyldings the goldfriend of heroes Homeward betook him The strangers sat down then Soulsick sorrowful the seawaves regarding They wished and yet weened not their wellloved friendlord The giantsword melts To see any more The swordblade began then The blood having touched it contracting and shriveling With battleicicles twas a wonderful marvel That it melted entirely likest to ice when The Father unbindeth the bond of the frost and Unwindeth the wavebands He who wieldeth dominion Of times and of tides a truthfirm Creator Nor took he of jewels more in the dwelling Lord of the Weders though they lay all around him Than the head and the handle handsome with jewels The brand early melted burnt was the weapon So hot was the blood the strangespirit poisonous The hero swims back to the realms of day That in it did perish He early swam off then Who had bided in combat the carnage of haters Went up through the ocean the eddies were cleansd The spacious expanses when the spirit from farland His life put aside and this shortlived existence The seamens defender came swimming to land then Doughty of spirit rejoiced in his seagift The bulky burden which he bore in his keeping The excellent vassals advanced then to meet him To God they were grateful were glad in their chieftain That to see him safe and sound was granted them From the highminded hero then helmet and burnie Were speedily loosened the ocean was putrid The water neath welkin weltered with gore Forth did they fare then their footsteps retracing Merry and mirthful measured the earthway The highway familiar men very daring Bare then the head from the seacliff burdening Each of the earlmen excellentvaliant It takes four men to carry Grendels head on a spear Four of them had to carry with labor The head of Grendel to the high towering goldhall Upstuck on the spear till fourteen mostvaliant And battlebrave Geatmen came there going Straight to the palace the prince of the people Measured the meadways their moodbrave companion The atheling of earlmen entered the building Deedvaliant man adorned with distinction Doughty shieldwarrior to address King Hrothgar Then hung by the hair the head of Grendel Was borne to the building where beerthanes were drinking Loth before earlmen and eke fore the lady The warriors beheld then a wonderful sight s monige gewear and hafa s geworden In a paper published some years ago in one of the Johns Hopkins University circulars I tried to throw upon these two longdoubtful passages some light derived from a study of like passages in Alfreds proseThe impersonal verb geweoran with an accus of the person and a tclause is used several times with the meaning agree See Orosius Sweets ed In the two Beowulf passages the tclause is anticipated by s which is clearly a gen of the thing agreed on The first passage v b I translate literally Then many agreed upon this namely that the seawolf had killed him The second passage v b She is promised to this the friend of the Scyldings has agreed etc By emending is instead of ws the tenses will be brought into perfect harmony In v ff this same idiom occurs and was noticed in Bs great article on Beowulf which appeared about the time I published my reading of and Translate then Wouldst let the SouthDanes themselves decide about their struggle with Grendel Here SDene is accus of person and ge is gen of thing agreed on With such collateral support as that afforded by B P and B XII I have no hesitation in departing from HSo my usual guide The idiom above treated runs through AS Old Saxon and other Teutonic languages and should be noticed in the lexicons Brdenml is regarded by most scholars as meaning a damaskeened sword Translate The damaskeened sword burned up Cf and note Cyningbalde is the muchdisputed reading of K and Th To render this nobly bold excellently bold have been suggested B would read cyningholde cf and render Men welldisposed towards the king carried the head etc Cynebealde says tB endorsing Gr XXV BEOWULF BRINGS HIS TROPHIESHROTHGARS GRATITUDE Beowulf relates his last exploit Beowulf spake offspring of Ecgtheow Lo we blithely have brought thee bairn of Healfdene Prince of the Scyldings these presents from ocean Which thine eye looketh on for an emblem of glory I came off alive from this narrowly scaping In war neath the water the work with great pains I Performed and the fight had been finished quite nearly Had God not defended me I failed in the battle Aught to accomplish aided by Hrunting Though that weapon was worthy but the Wielder of earthfolk God was fighting with me Gave me willingly to see on the wall a Heavy old handsword hanging in splendor He guided most often the lorn and the friendless That I swung as a weapon The wards of the house then I killed in the conflict when occasion was given me Then the battlesword burned the brand that was lifted As the bloodcurrent sprang hottest of warsweats Seizing the hilt from my foes I offbore it I avenged as I ought to their acts of malignity The murder of Danemen I then make thee this promise Heorot is freed from monsters Thoult be able in Heorot careless to slumber With thy throng of heroes and the thanes of thy people Every and each of greater and lesser And thou needest not fear for them from the selfsame direction As thou formerly fearedst oh folklord of Scyldings Endday for earlmen To the agehoary man then The famous sword is presented to Hrothgar The grayhaired chieftain the goldfashioned swordhilt Oldwork of giants was thereupon given Since the fall of the fiends it fell to the keeping Of the wielder of Danemen the wondersmiths labor And the badmooded being abandoned this world then Opponent of God victim of murder And also his mother it went to the keeping Of the best of the worldkings where waters encircle Who the scot divided in Scylding dominion Hrothgar looks closely at the old sword Hrothgar discoursed the hilt he regarded The ancient heirloom where an oldtime contentions Beginning was graven the gurgling currents The flood slew thereafter the race of the giants They had proved themselves daring that people was loth to It had belonged to a race hateful to God The Lord everlasting through lash of the billows The Father gave them final requital So in letters of rune on the clasp of the handle Gleaming and golden twas graven exactly Set forth and said whom that sword had been made for Finest of irons who first it was wrought for Wreathed at its handle and gleaming with serpents The wise one then said silent they all were Hrothgar praises Beowulf Son of old Healfdene He may say unrefuted Who performs mid the folkmen fairness and truth The hoary old ruler remembers the past That better by birth is this bairn of the nobles Thy fame is extended through faraway countries Good friend Beowulf oer all of the races Thou holdest all firmly herolike strength with Prudence of spirit Ill prove myself grateful As before we agreed on thou granted for long shalt Become a great comfort to kinsmen and comrades Heremods career is again contrasted with Beowulfs A help unto heroes Heremod became not Such to the Scyldings successors of Ecgwela He grew not to please them but grievous destruction And diresome deathwoes to Danemen attracted He slew in anger his tablecompanions Trustworthy counsellors till he turned off lonely From worldjoys away widefamous ruler Though highruling heaven in herostrength raised him In might exalted him oer men of all nations Made him supreme yet a murderous spirit Grew in his bosom he gave then no ringgems A wretched failure of a king to give no jewels to his retainers To the Danes after custom endured he unjoyful Standing the straits from strife that was raging Longsome folksorrow Learn then from this Lay hold of virtue Though laden with winters I have sung thee these measures Tis a marvel to tell it Hrothgar moralizes How allruling God from greatness of spirit Giveth wisdom to children of men Manor and earlship all things He ruleth He often permitteth the moodthought of man of The illustrious lineage to lean to possessions Allows him earthly delights at his manor A highburg of heroes to hold in his keeping Maketh portions of earthfolk hear him And a widereaching kingdom so that wisdom failing him He himself is unable to reckon its boundaries He liveth in luxury little debars him Nor sickness nor age no treacherysorrow Becloudeth his spirit conflict nowhere No swordhate appeareth but all of the world doth Wend as he wisheth the worse he knoweth not Till arrant arrogance inward pervading Waxeth and springeth when the warder is sleeping The guard of the soul with sorrows encompassed Too sound is his slumber the slayer is near him Who with bow and arrow aimeth in malice Or rather perhaps the inlaid or damaskeened weapon Cf and note XXVI HROTHGAR MORALIZESREST AFTER LABOR A wounded spirit Then bruised in his bosom he with bittertoothed missile Is hurt neath his helmet from harmful pollution He is powerless to shield him by the wonderful mandates Of the loathcursd spirit what too long he hath holden Him seemeth too small savage he hoardeth Nor boastfully giveth goldplated rings The fate of the future flouts and forgetteth Since God had erst given him greatness no little Wielder of Glory His endday anear It afterward happens that the bodilydwelling Fleetingly fadeth falls into ruins Another lays hold who doleth the ornaments The noblemans jewels nothing lamenting Heedeth no terror Oh Beowulf dear Best of the heroes from balestrife defend thee And choose thee the better counsels eternal Be not over proud life is fleeting and its strength soon wasteth away Beware of arrogance worldfamous champion But a littlewhile lasts thy lifevigors fulness Twill after hap early that illness or swordedge Shall part thee from strength or the grasp of the fire Or the wave of the current or clutch of the edges Or flight of the warspear or age with its horrors Or thine eyes bright flashing shall fade into darkness Twill happen full early excellent hero Hrothgar gives an account of his reign That death shall subdue thee So the Danes a halfcentury I held under heaven helped them in struggles Gainst many a race in middleearths regions With ashwood and edges that enemies none On earth molested me Lo offsetting change now Sorrow after joy Came to my manor grief after joyance When Grendel became my constant visitor Inveterate hater I from that malice Continually travailed with trouble no little Thanks be to God that I gained in my lifetime To the Lord everlasting to look on the gory Head with mine eyes after longlasting sorrow Go to the bench now battleadornd Joy in the feasting of jewels in common Well meet with many when morning appeareth The Geatman was gladsome ganged he immediately To go to the bench as the clever one bade him Then again as before were the famousforprowess Hallinhabiters handsomely banqueted Feasted anew The nightveil fell then Dark oer the warriors The courtiers rose then The grayhaired was anxious to go to his slumbers The hoary old Scylding Hankered the Geatman Beowulf is fagged and seeks rest The champion doughty greatly to rest him An earlman early outward did lead him Fagged from his faring from farcountry springing Who for etiquettes sake all of a liegemans Needs regarded such as seamen at that time Were bounden to feel The bighearted rested The building uptowered spacious and gilded The guest within slumbered till the sableclad raven Blithely foreboded the beacon of heaven Then the brightshining sun oer the bottoms came going The warriors hastened the heads of the peoples Were ready to go again to their peoples The Geats prepare to leave Daneland The highmooded farer would faraway thenceward Look for his vessel The valiant one bade then Unferth asks Beowulf to accept his sword as a gift Beowulf thanks him Offspring of Ecglaf off to bear Hrunting To take his weapon his wellbeloved iron He him thanked for the gift saying good he accounted The warfriend and mighty nor chid he with words then The blade of the brand twas a bravemooded hero When the warriors were ready arrayed in their trappings The atheling dear to the Danemen advanced then On to the dais where the other was sitting Grimmooded hero greeted King Hrothgar K says proudly givethGr says And gives no goldplated rings in order to incite the recipient to boastfulnessB suggests gyld for gylp and renders And gives no beaten rings for reward If Ss emendation be accepted v will read Then came the light going bright after darkness the warriors etc As the passage stands in HSo Unferth presents Beowulf with the sword Hrunting and B thanks him for the gift If however the suggestions of Grdtvg and M be accepted the passage will read Then the brave one ie Beowulf commanded that Hrunting be borne to the son of Ecglaf Unferth bade him take his sword his dear weapon he B thanked him U for the loan etc XXVII SORROW AT PARTING Beowulfs farewell Beowulf spake Ecgtheows offspring We men of the water wish to declare now Fared from farlands were firmly determined To seek King Higelac Here have we fitly Been welcomed and feasted as heart would desire it Good was the greeting If greater affection I am anywise able ever on earth to Gain at thy hands ruler of heroes Than yet I have done I shall quickly be ready I shall be ever ready to aid thee For combat and conflict Oer the course of the waters Learn I that neighbors alarm thee with terror As haters did whilom I hither will bring thee For help unto heroes henchmen by thousands My liegelord will encourage me in aiding thee I know as to Higelac the lord of the Geatmen Though young in years he yet will permit me By words and by works ward of the people Fully to furnish thee forces and bear thee My lance to relieve thee if liegemen shall fail thee And help of my handstrength if Hrethric be treating Bairn of the king at the court of the Geatmen He thereat may find him friends in abundance Faraway countries he were better to seek for Who trusts in himself Hrothgar discoursed then Making rejoinder These words thou hast uttered Allknowing God hath given thy spirit O Beowulf thou art wise beyond thy years Neer heard I an earlman thus early in life More clever in speaking thourt cautious of spirit Mighty of muscle in mouthanswers prudent I count on the hope that happen it ever That missile shall rob thee of Hrethels descendant Edgehorrid battle and illness or weapon Deprive thee of prince of peoples protector Should Higelac die the Geats could find no better successor than thou wouldst make And life thou yet holdest the SeaGeats will never Find a more fitting folklord to choose them Gemward of heroes than thou mightest prove thee If the kingdom of kinsmen thou carest to govern Thy moodspirit likes me the longer the better Beowulf dear thou hast brought it to pass that To both these peoples peace shall be common Thou hast healed the ancient breach between our races To Geatfolk and Danemen the strife be suspended The secret assailings they suffered in yoredays And also that jewels be shared while I govern The widestretching kingdom and that many shall visit Others oer the ocean with excellent giftgems The ringadorned bark shall bring oer the currents Presents and lovegifts This people I know Towrd foeman and friend firmly established After ancient etiquette everywise blameless Then the warden of earlmen gave him still farther Parting gifts Kinsman of Healfdene a dozen of jewels Bade him safely seek with the presents His wellbeloved people early returning Hrothgar kisses Beowulf and weeps Then the nobleborn king kissed the distinguished Dearlovd liegeman the Daneprince saluted him And claspd his neck tears from him fell From the grayheaded man he two things expected Agd and reverend but rather the second That bold in council theyd meet thereafter The man was so dear that he failed to suppress the Emotions that moved him but in moodfetters fastened The old king is deeply grieved to part with his benefactor The longfamous hero longeth in secret Deep in his spirit for the dearbeloved man Though not a bloodkinsman Beowulf thenceward Goldsplendid warrior walked oer the meadows Exulting in treasure the seagoing vessel Riding at anchor awaited its owner As they pressed on their way then the present of Hrothgar Giving liberally is the true proof of kingship Was frequently referred to a folkking indeed that Everyway blameless till age did debar him The joys of his might which hath many oft injured For geworhte the crux of this passage B proposes gehte rendering I know this people with firm thought every way blameless towards foe and friends S and B emend so as to negative the verb meet Why should Hrothgar weep if he expects to meet Beowulf again both these scholars ask But the weeping is mentioned before the expectations the tears may have been due to many emotions especially gratitude struggling for expression XXVIII THE HOMEWARD JOURNEYTHE TWO QUEENS Then the band of very valiant retainers Came to the current they were clad all in armor The coastguard again In linkwoven burnies The landwarder noticed The return of the earlmen as he erstwhile had seen them Nowise with insult he greeted the strangers From the naze of the cliff but rode on to meet them Said the brightarmored visitors vesselward traveled Welcome to Weders The widebosomed craft then Lay on the sand laden with armor With horses and jewels the ringstemmd sailer The mast uptowered oer the treasure of Hrothgar Beowulf gives the guard a handsome sword To the boatward a goldbound brand he presented That he was afterwards honored on the alebench more highly As the heirlooms owner Set he out on his vessel To drive on the deep Danecountry left he Along by the mast then a seagarment fluttered A ropefastened sail The seaboat resounded The wind oer the waters the wavefloater nowise Kept from its journey the seagoer traveled The foamynecked floated forth oer the currents The wellfashioned vessel oer the ways of the ocean The Geats see their own land again Till they came within sight of the cliffs of the Geatmen The wellknown headlands The wavegoer hastened Driven by breezes stood on the shore The portwarden is anxiously looking for them Prompt at the ocean the portward was ready Who long in the past outlooked in the distance At watersedge waiting welllovd heroes He bound to the bank then the broadbosomed vessel Fast in its fetters lest the force of the waters Should be able to injure the oceanwood winsome Bade he up then take the treasure of princes Plategold and fretwork not far was it thence To go off in search of the giver of jewels Hrethels son Higelac at home there remaineth Himself with his comrades close to the seacoast The building was splendid the king heroic Great in his hall Hygd very young was Hygd the noble queen of Higelac lavish of gifts Finemooded clever though few were the winters That the daughter of Hreth had dwelt in the borough But she nowise was cringing nor niggard of presents Of ornaments rare to the race of the Geatmen Offas consort Thrytho is contrasted with Hygd Thrytho nursed anger excellent folkqueen Hotburning hatred no hero whatever Mong household companions her husband excepted She is a terror to all save her husband Dared to adventure to look at the woman With eyes in the daytime but he knew that deathchains Handwreathed were wrought him early thereafter When the handstrife was over edges were ready That fierceraging swordpoint had to force a decision Murderbale show Such no womanly custom For a lady to practise though lovely her person That a weaverofpeace on pretence of anger A belovd liegeman of life should deprive Soothly this hindered Hemings kinsman Other aledrinking earlmen asserted That fearful folksorrows fewer she wrought them Treacherous doings since first she was given Adorned with gold to the warhero youthful For her origin honored when Offas great palace Oer the fallow flood by her fathers instructions She sought on her journey where she afterwards fully Famed for her virtue her fate on the kingsseat Enjoyed in her lifetime love did she hold with The ruler of heroes the best it is told me Of all of the earthmen that oceans encompass Of earlkindreds endless hence Offa was famous Far and widely by gifts and by battles Spearvaliant hero the home of his fathers He governed with wisdom whence Eomr did issue For help unto heroes Hemings kinsman Grandson of Garmund great in encounters For scawan scaan has been proposed Accepting this we may render He said the brightarmored warriors were going to their vessel welcome etc Cf R suggests Gewt him on naca and renders The vessel set out to drive on the sea the Danecountry left On bears the alliteration cf on hafu This has some advantages over the HSo reading viz It adds nothing to the text it makes naca the subject and thus brings the passage into keeping with the context where the poet has exhausted his vocabulary in detailing the actions of the vesselBs emendation cf P and B XII is violent B translates Who for a long time ready at the coast had looked out into the distance eagerly for the dear men This changes the syntax of lofra manna For wuna v several eminent critics suggest wunade remained This makes the passage much clearer Why should such a woman be described as an excellent queen C suggests frcnu dangerous bold For an dges various readings have been offered If andges be accepted the sentence will read No hero dared look upon her eye to eye If ndges be adopted translate Dared look upon her the whole day XXIX BEOWULF AND HIGELAC Then the brave one departed his band along with him Beowulf and his party seek Higelac Seeking the seashore the seamarches treading The widestretching shores The worldcandle glimmered The sun from the southward they proceeded then onward Early arriving where they heard that the trooplord Ongentheows slayer excellent youthful Folkprince and warrior was distributing jewels Close in his castle The coming of Beowulf Was announced in a message quickly to Higelac That the folktroops defender forth to the palace The lindencompanion alive was advancing Secure from the combat courtward agoing The building was early inward made ready For the footgoing guests as the good one had ordered Beowulf sits by his liegelord He sat by the man then who had lived through the struggle Kinsman by kinsman when the king of the people Had in lordly language saluted the dear one Queen Hygd receives the heroes In words that were formal The daughter of Hreth Coursed through the building carrying meadcups She loved the retainers tendered the beakers To the highminded Geatmen Higelac gan then Higelac is greatly interested in Beowulfs adventures Pleasantly plying his companion with questions In the hightowering palace A curious interest Tormented his spirit what meaning to see in The SeaGeats adventures Beowulf worthy Give an account of thy adventures Beowulf dear How throve your journeying when thou thoughtest suddenly Far oer the saltstreams to seek an encounter A battle at Heorot Hast bettered for Hrothgar The famous folkleader his farpublished sorrows Any at all In agonybillows My suspense has been great I mused upon torture distrusted the journey Of the belovd liegeman I long time did pray thee By no means to seek out the murderous spirit To suffer the SouthDanes themselves to decide on Grappling with Grendel To God I am thankful To be suffered to see thee safe from thy journey Beowulf narrates his adventures Beowulf answered bairn of old Ecgtheow Tis hidden by no means Higelac chieftain From many of men the meeting so famous What mournful moments of me and of Grendel Were passed in the place where he pressing affliction On the VictoryScyldings scathefully brought Anguish forever that all I avengd So that any under heaven of the kinsmen of Grendel Grendels kindred have no cause to boast Needeth not boast of that cryinthemorning Who longest liveth of the lothgoing kindred Encompassed by moorland I came in my journey To the royal ringhall Hrothgar to greet there Hrothgar received me very cordially Soon did the famous scion of Healfdene When he understood fully the spirit that led me Assign me a seat with the son of his bosom The troop was in joyance meadglee greater Neath arch of the ether not ever beheld I The queen also showed up no little honor Mid hallbuilding holders The highlyfamed queen Peacetie of peoples oft passed through the building Cheered the young troopers she oft tendered a hero A beautiful ringband ere she went to her sitting Hrothgars lovely daughter Oft the daughter of Hrothgar in view of the courtiers To the earls at the end the alevessel carried Whom Freaware I heard then hallsitters title When nailadorned jewels she gave to the heroes She is betrothed to Ingeld in order to unite the Danes and Heathobards Goldbedecked youthful to the glad son of Froda Her faith has been plighted the friend of the Scyldings The guard of the kingdom hath given his sanction And counts it a vantage for a part of the quarrels A portion of hatred to pay with the woman Somewhere not rarely when the ruler has fallen The lifetaking lance relaxeth its fury For a brief breathingspell though the bride be charming Meoduscencum some would render with meadpourers Translate then The daughter of Hreth went through the building accompanied by meadpourers See my note to supra and B in P and B XII For fenne supplied by Grdtvg B suggests fcne cf Jul Accepting this translate Who longest lives of the hated race steeped in treachery See note to v above This is perhaps the least understood sentence in the poem almost every word being open to dispute The n of our text is an emendation and is rejected by many scholars Seldan is by some taken as an adv seldom and by others as a noun page companion Lodhryre some render fall of the people others fall of the prince Bge most scholars regard as the intrans verb meaning bend rest but one great scholar has translated it shall kill Hwr Very recently has been attacked wre being suggested As a corollary to the above the same critic proposes to drop oft out of the texttB suggests Oft seldan wre after lodhryre ltle hwle bongr bge ah so brd duge often has a treaty been thus struck after a prince had fallen but only a short time is the spear then wont to rest however excellent the bride may be XXX BEOWULF NARRATES HIS ADVENTURES TO HIGELAC It well may discomfit the prince of the Heathobards And each of the thanemen of earls that attend him When he goes to the building escorting the woman That a nobleborn Daneman the knights should be feasting There gleam on his person the leavings of elders Hard and ringbright Heathobards treasure While they wielded their arms till they misled to the battle Their own dear lives and belovd companions He saith at the banquet who the collar beholdeth An ancient ashwarrior who earlmens destruction Clearly recalleth cruel his spirit Sadly beginneth sounding the youthful Thanechampions spirit through the thoughts of his bosom Wargrief to waken and this wordanswer speaketh Ingeld is stirred up to break the truce Art thou able my friend to know when thou seest it The brand which thy father bare to the conflict In his latest adventure neath visor of helmet The dearlyloved iron where Danemen did slay him And bravemooded Scyldings on the fall of the heroes When vengeance was sleeping the slaughterplace wielded Een now some man of the murderers progeny Exulting in ornaments enters the building Boasts of his bloodshedding offbeareth the jewel Which thou shouldst wholly hold in possession So he urgeth and mindeth on every occasion With woebringing words till waxeth the season When the womans thane for the works of his father The bill having bitten bloodgory sleepeth Fated to perish the other one thenceward Scapeth alive the land knoweth thoroughly Then the oaths of the earlmen on each side are broken When rancors unresting are raging in Ingeld And his wifelove waxeth less warm after sorrow So the Heathobards favor not faithful I reckon Their part in the treaty not true to the Danemen Their friendship not fast I further shall tell thee Having made these preliminary statements I will now tell thee of Grendel the monster More about Grendel that thou fully mayst hear Ornamentgiver what afterward came from The handrush of heroes When heavens bright jewel Oer earthfields had glided the stranger came raging The horrible nightfiend us for to visit Where wholly unharmed the hall we were guarding Hondscio fell first To Hondscio happened a hopeless contention Death to the doomed one dead he fell foremost Girded warchampion to him Grendel became then To the vassal distinguished a toothweaponed murderer The wellbeloved henchmans body all swallowed Not the earlier off empty of hand did The bloodytoothed murderer mindful of evils Wish to escape from the goldgivers palace But sturdy of strength he strove to outdo me Handready grappled A glove was suspended Spacious and wondrous in artfetters fastened Which was fashioned entirely by touch of the craftman From the dragons skin by the devils devices He down in its depths would do me unsadly One among many deeddoer raging Though sinless he saw me not so could it happen When I in my anger upright did stand Tis too long to recount how requital I furnished For every evil to the earlmens destroyer I reflected honor upon my people Twas there my prince that I proudly distinguished Thy land with my labors He left and retreated He lived his life a little while longer Yet his righthand guarded his footstep in Heorot And sadmooded thence to the seabottom fell he Mournful in mind For the mightrush of battle King Hrothgar lavished gifts upon me The friend of the Scyldings with gold that was plated With ornaments many much requited me When daylight had dawned and down to the banquet We had sat us together There was chanting and joyance The agestricken Scylding asked many questions And of oldtimes related oft lightringing harpstrings Joytelling wood were touched by the brave one Now he uttered measures mourning and truthful Then the largehearted landking a legend of wonder Truthfully told us Now troubled with years The old king is sad over the loss of his youthful vigor The agehoary warrior afterward began to Mourn for the might that marked him in youthdays His breast within boiled when burdened with winters Much he remembered From morning till night then We joyed us therein as etiquette suffered Till the second night season came unto earthfolk Then early thereafter the mother of Grendel Grendels mother Was ready for vengeance wretched she journeyed Her son had death ravished the wrath of the Geatmen The horrible woman avengd her offspring And with mighty mainstrength murdered a hero schere falls a prey to her vengeance There the spirit of schere agd adviser Was ready to vanish nor when morn had lightened Were they anywise suffered to consume him with fire Folk of the Danemen the deathweakened hero Nor the belovd liegeman to lay on the pyre She suffered not his body to be burned but ate it She the corpse had offcarried in the clutch of the foeman Neath mountainbrooks flood To Hrothgar twas saddest Of pains that ever had preyed on the chieftain By the life of thee the landprince then me Besought very sadly in seacurrents eddies To display my prowess to peril my safety Mightdeeds accomplish much did he promise I sought the creature in her den I found then the famous floodcurrents cruel Horrible depthwarder A while unto us two Hand was in common the currents were seething With gore that was clotted and Grendels fierce mothers and hewed her head off Head I offhacked in the hall at the bottom With hugereaching swordedge hardly I wrested My life from her clutches not doomed was I then Jewels were freely bestowed upon me But the warden of earlmen afterward gave me Jewels in quantity kinsman of Healfdene For lifigende a mere conjecture wgende has been suggested The line would then read Escapeth by fighting knows the land thoroughly For fmum Grs conjecture B proposes frunga These three halfverses would then read She bore off the corpse of her foe suddenly under the mountaintorrent The phrase ne lfe was long rendered with thy presupposed permission The verse would read The landprince then sadly besought me with thy presupposed permission etc XXXI GIFTGIVING IS MUTUAL So the belovd landprince lived in decorum I had missed no rewards no meeds of my prowess But he gave me jewels regarding my wishes Healfdene his bairn Ill bring them to thee then All my gifts I lay at thy feet Atheling of earlmen offer them gladly And still unto thee is all my affection But few of my folkkin find I surviving But thee dear Higelac Bade he in then to carry The boarimage banner battlehigh helmet Irongray armor the excellent weapon This armor I have belonged of yore to Heregar In songmeasures said This suitforthebattle Hrothgar presented me bade me expressly Wisemooded atheling thereafter to tell thee The whole of its history said King Heregar owned it Daneprince for long yet he wished not to give then The mail to his son though dearly he loved him Hereward the hardy Hold all in joyance I heard that there followed hard on the jewels Two braces of stallions of striking resemblance Dappled and yellow he granted him usance Of horses and treasures So a kinsman should bear him No web of treachery weave for another Nor by cunning craftiness cause the destruction Higelac loves his nephew Beowulf Of trusty companion Most precious to Higelac The bold one in battle was the bairn of his sister And each unto other mindful of favors Beowulf gives Hygd the necklace that Wealhtheow had given him I am told that to Hygd he proffered the necklace Wondergem rare that Wealhtheow gave him The troopleaders daughter a trio of horses Slender and saddlebright soon did the jewel Embellish her bosom when the beerfeast was over So Ecgtheows bairn brave did prove him Beowulf is famous Warfamous man by deeds that were valiant He lived in honor belovd companions Slew not carousing his mood was not cruel But by handstrength hugest of heroes then living The brave one retained the bountiful gift that The Lord had allowed him Long was he wretched So that sons of the Geatmen accounted him worthless And the lord of the liegemen loth was to do him Mickle of honor when meadcups were passing They fully believed him idle and sluggish He is requited for the slights suffered in earlier days An indolent atheling to the honorblest man there Came requital for the cuts he had suffered The folktroops defender bade fetch to the building The heirloom of Hrethel embellished with gold Higelac overwhelms the conqueror with gifts So the brave one enjoined it there was jewel no richer In the form of a weapon mong Geats of that era In Beowulfs keeping he placed it and gave him Seven of thousands manor and lordship Common to both was land mong the people Estate and inherited rights and possessions To the second one specially spacious dominions To the one who was better It afterward happened In days that followed befell the battlethanes After Heardreds death Beowulf becomes king After Higelacs death and when Heardred was murdered With weapons of warfare neath wellcovered targets When valiant battlemen in victorband sought him WarScylfing heroes harassed the nephew Of Hereric in battle To Beowulfs keeping Turned there in time extensive dominions He rules the Geats fifty years He fittingly ruled them a fifty of winters He a manruler wise was manorward old till A certain one gan on gloomdarkening nights a The firedrake Dragon to govern who guarded a treasure A highrising stonecliff on heath that was grayish A path neath it lay unknown unto mortals Some one of earthmen entered the mountain The heathenish hoard laid hold of with ardor This verse B renders Now serve I again thee alone as my gracious king For eafor Kl suggests ealdor Translate then Bade the prince then to bear in the banner battlehigh helmet etc On the other hand W takes eaforhafodsegn as a compound meaning helmet He bade them bear in the helmet battlehigh helm gray armor etc The HSo rendering rest history origin eft for est though liable to objection is perhaps the best offered That I should very early tell thee of his favor kindness sounds well but his is badly placed to limit stPerhaps eft with verbs of saying may have the force of Lat prefix re and the HSo reading mean that I should its origin rehearse to thee XXXII THE HOARD AND THE DRAGON He sought of himself who sorely did harm him But for need very pressing the servant of one of The sons of the heroes hateblows evaded Seeking for shelter and the sindriven warrior Took refuge within there He early looked in it when the onset surprised him The hoard He a gemvessel saw there many of suchlike Ancient ornaments in the earthcave were lying As in days of yore some one of men of Illustrious lineage as a legacy monstrous There had secreted them careful and thoughtful Dearvalued jewels Death had offsnatched them In the days of the past and the one man moreover Of the flower of the folk who fared there the longest Was fain to defer it friendmourning warder A little longer to be left in enjoyment Of longlasting treasure A barrow allready Stood on the plain the streamcurrents nigh to New by the nessedge unnethe of approaching The keeper of rings carried within a Ponderous deal of the treasure of nobles Of gold that was beaten briefly he spake then The ringgiver bewails the loss of retainers Hold thou O Earth now heroes no more may The earnings of earlmen Lo erst in thy bosom Worthy men won them wardeath hath ravished Perilous lifebale all my warriors Liegemen belovd who this life have forsaken Who hallpleasures saw No swordbearer have I And no one to burnish the goldplated vessel The highvalued beaker my heroes are vanished The hardy helmet behung with gilding Shall be reaved of its riches the ringcleansers slumber Who were charged to have ready visorsforbattle And the burnie that bided in battleencounter Oer breaking of warshields the bite of the edges Moulds with the hero The ringtwisted armor Its lord being lifeless no longer may journey Hanging by heroes harpjoy is vanished The rapture of gleewood no excellent falcon Swoops through the building no swiftfooted charger Grindeth the gravel A grievous destruction No few of the worldfolk widely hath scattered So woful of spirit one after all Lamented mournfully moaning in sadness By day and by night till death with its billows The firedragon Dashed on his spirit Then the ancient duskscather Found the great treasure standing all open He who flaming and fiery flies to the barrows Naked wardragon nightly escapeth Encompassed with fire men under heaven Widely beheld him Tis said that he looks for The hoard in the earth where old he is guarding The heathenish treasure hell be nowise the better The dragon meets his match So threehundred winters the waster of peoples Held upon earth that excellent hoardhall Till the forementioned earlman angered him bitterly The beatplated beaker he bare to his chieftain And fullest remission for all his remissness Begged of his liegelord Then the hoard was discovered The treasure was taken his petition was granted The hero plunders the dragons den The lornmooded liegeman His lord regarded The oldwork of earthfolktwas the earliest occasion When the dragon awoke the strife was renewed there He snuffed long the stone then stouthearted found he The footprint of foeman too far had he gone With cunning craftiness close to the head of The firespewing dragon So undoomed he may scape from Anguish and exile with ease who possesseth The favor of Heaven The hoardwarden eagerly Searched oer the ground then would meet with the person That caused him sorrow while in slumber reclining Gleaming and wild he oft went round the cavern All of it outward not any of earthmen Was seen in that desert Yet he joyed in the battle Rejoiced in the conflict oft he turned to the barrow Sought for the gemcup this he soon perceived then The dragon perceives that some one has disturbed his treasure That some man or other had discovered the gold The famous folktreasure Not fain did the hoardward Wait until evening then the ward of the barrow Was angry in spirit the loathd one wished to Pay for the dearvalued drinkcup with fire Then the day was done as the dragon would have it He no longer would wait on the wall but departed The dragon is infuriated Fireimpelled flaming Fearful the start was To earls in the land as it early thereafter To their giverofgold was grievously ended For longgestrona B suggests lengestrona and renders Of fleeting treasures S accepts Hs longgestrona but renders The treasure long in accumulating For hardfyrdne B first suggested hardfyndne rendering A heap of treasures so great that its equal would be hard to find The same scholar suggests later hordwynne dl A deal of treasurejoy Some read fecword and render Banning words uttered An earlier reading of Hs gave the following meaning to this passage He is said to inhabit a mound under the earth where he etc The translation in the text is more authentic The repetition of hord in this passage has led some scholars to suggest new readings to avoid the second hord This however is not under the main stress and it seems to me might easily be accepted The reading of HSo is well defended in the notes to that volume B emends and renders Nor was there any man in that desert who rejoiced in conflict in battlework That is the hoardward could not find any one who had disturbed his slumbers for no warrior was there tBs emendation would give substantially the same translation Sincft this word both here and in v tB renders treasure XXXIII BRAVE THOUGH AGEDREMINISCENCES The dragon spits fire The stranger began then to vomit forth fire To burn the great manor the blaze then glimmered For anguish to earlmen not anything living Was the hateful airgoer willing to leave there The war of the worm widely was noticed The feud of the foeman afar and anear How the enemy injured the earls of the Geatmen Harried with hatred back he hied to the treasure To the wellhidden cavern ere the coming of daylight He had circled with fire the folk of those regions With brand and burning in the barrow he trusted In the wall and his warmight the weening deceived him Beowulf hears of the havoc wrought by the dragon Then straight was the horror to Beowulf published Early forsooth that his own native homestead The best of buildings was burning and melting Giftseat of Geatmen Twas a grief to the spirit Of the goodmooded hero the greatest of sorrows He fears that Heaven is punishing him for some crime The wise one weened then that wielding his kingdom Gainst the ancient commandments he had bitterly angered The Lord everlasting with lorn meditations His bosom welled inward as was nowise his custom The firespewing dragon fully had wasted The fastness of warriors the waterland outward The manor with fire The folkruling hero Prince of the Weders was planning to wreak him The warmens defender bade them to make him Earlmens atheling an excellent warshield He orders an iron shield to be made from him wood is useless Wholly of iron fully he knew then That wood from the forest was helpless to aid him Shield against fire The longworthy ruler Must live the last of his limited earthdays Of life in the world and the worm along with him Though he long had been holding hoardwealth in plenty He determines to fight alone Then the ringprince disdained to seek with a warband With army extensive the airgoing ranger He felt no fear of the foemans assaults and He counted for little the might of the dragon His power and prowess for previously dared he Beowulfs early triumphs referred to A heap of hostility hazarded dangers Warthane when Hrothgars palace he cleansd Conquering combatant clutched in the battle The kinsmen of Grendel of kindred detested Higelacs death recalled Twas of handfights not least where Higelac was slaughtered When the king of the Geatmen with clashings of battle Friendlord of folks in Frisian dominions Offspring of Hrethrel perished through sworddrink With battleswords beaten thence Beowulf came then On selfhelp relying swam through the waters He bare on his arm lonegoing thirty Outfits of armor when the ocean he mounted The Hetwars by no means had need to be boastful Of their fighting afoot who forward to meet him Carried their warshields not many returned from The bravemooded battleknight back to their homesteads Ecgtheows bairn oer the bightcourses swam then Lonegoer lorn to his landfolk returning Where Hygd to him tendered treasure and kingdom Heardreds lack of capacity to rule Rings and dominion her son she not trusted To be able to keep the kingdom devised him Gainst alien races on the death of King Higelac Beowulfs tact and delicacy recalled Yet the sad ones succeeded not in persuading the atheling In any way ever to act as a suzerain To Heardred or promise to govern the kingdom Yet with friendly counsel in the folk he sustained him Gracious with honor till he grew to be older Reference is here made to a visit which Beowulf receives from Eanmund and Eadgils why they come is not known Wielded the Weders Widefleeing outlaws Ohtheres sons sought him oer the waters They had stirred a revolt gainst the helm of the Scylfings The best of the seakings who in Swedish dominions Distributed treasure distinguished folkleader Twas the end of his earthdays injury fatal By swing of the sword he received as a greeting Offspring of Higelac Ongentheows bairn Later departed to visit his homestead When Heardred was dead let Beowulf rule them Govern the Geatmen good was that folkking Hm the suggestion of B is accepted by tB and other scholars For lan cynnes tB suggests lan cynne apposition to mgum From syntactical and other considerations this is a most excellent emendation Gr read on feorme rendering He there at the banquet a fatal wound received by blows of the sword XXXIV BEOWULF SEEKS THE DRAGONBEOWULFS REMINISCENCES He planned requital for the folkleaders ruin In days thereafter to Eadgils the wretched Becoming an enemy Ohtheres son then Went with a wartroop oer the widestretching currents With warriors and weapons with woejourneys cold he After avenged him the kings life he took Beowulf has been preserved through many perils So he came off uninjured from all of his battles Perilous fights offspring of Ecgtheow From his deeds of daring till that day most momentous When he fatedriven fared to fight with the dragon With eleven comrades he seeks the dragon With eleven companions the prince of the Geatmen Went lowering with fury to look at the firedrake Inquiring hed found how the feud had arisen Hate to his heroes the highlyfamed gemvessel Was brought to his keeping through the hand of th informer A guide leads the way but That in the throng was thirteenth of heroes That caused the beginning of conflict so bitter Captive and wretched must sadmooded thenceward very reluctantly Point out the place he passed then unwillingly To the spot where he knew of the notable cavern The cave under earth not far from the ocean The anger of eddies which inward was full of Jewels and wires a warden uncanny Warrior weaponed wardered the treasure Old under earth no easy possession For any of earthfolk access to get to Then the battlebrave atheling sat on the nazeedge While the goldfriend of Geatmen gracious saluted His firesidecompanions woe was his spirit Deathboding wavring Weird very near him Who must seize the old hero his soultreasure look for Dragging aloof his life from his body Not fleshhidden long was the folkleaders spirit Beowulf spake Ecgtheows son Beowulfs retrospect I survived in my youthdays many a conflict Hours of onset that all I remember I was sevenwinters old when the jewelprince took me Highlord of heroes at the hands of my father Hrethel the heroking had me in keeping Hrethel took me when I was seven Gave me treasure and feasting our kinship remembered Not ever was I any less dear to him He treated me as a son Knight in the boroughs than the bairns of his household Herebald and Hthcyn and Higelac mine To the eldest unjustly by acts of a kinsman Was murderbed strewn since him Hthcyn from hornbow One of the brothers accidentally kills another His sheltering chieftain shot with an arrow Erred in his aim and injured his kinsman One brother the other with bloodsprinkled spear No fee could compound for such a calamity Twas a feeless fight finished in malice Sad to his spirit the folkprince however Had to part from existence with vengeance untaken A parallel case is supposed So to hoarheaded hero tis heavily crushing To live to see his son as he rideth Young on the gallows then measures he chanteth A song of sorrow when his son is hanging For the ravens delight and aged and hoary He is unable to offer any assistance Every morning his offsprings departure Is constant recalled he cares not to wait for The birth of an heir in his boroughenclosures Since that one through deathpain the deeds hath experienced He heartgrieved beholds in the house of his son the Winebuilding wasted the windlodging places Reaved of their roaring the riders are sleeping The knights in the grave theres no sound of the harpwood Joy in the yards as of yore were familiar Gomelum ceorle H takes these words as referring to Hrethel but the translator here departs from his editor by understanding the poet to refer to a hypothetical old man introduced as an illustration of a fathers sorrow Hrethrel had certainly never seen a son of his ride on the gallows to feed the crows The passage beginning sw bi gomorlic seems to be an effort to reach a full simile as so As it is mournful for an old man etc so the defence of the Weders bore heartsorrow etc The verses to would be parenthetical the poets feelings being so strong as to interrupt the simile The punctuation of the fourth edition would be bettera comma after galgan The translation may be indicated as follows Just as it is sad for an old man to see his son ride young on the gallows when he himself is uttering mournful measures a sorrowful song while his son hangs for a comfort to the raven and he old and infirm cannot render him any kelphe is constantly reminded etc so the defence of the Weders etc XXXV REMINISCENCES continuedBEOWULFS LAST BATTLE He seeks then his chamber singeth a woesong One for the other all too extensive Seemed homesteads and plains So the helm of the Weders Hrethel grieves for Herebald Mindful of Herebald heartsorrow carried Stirred with emotion nowise was able To wreak his ruin on the ruthless destroyer He was unable to follow the warrior with hatred With deeds that were direful though dear he not held him Then pressed by the pang this pain occasioned him He gave up glee Godlight elected He left to his sons as the man that is rich does His land and fortress when from life he departed Strife between Swedes and Geats Then was crime and hostility twixt Swedes and Geatmen Oer widestretching water warring was mutual Burdensome hatred when Hrethel had perished And Ongentheows offspring were active and valiant Wished not to hold to peace oversea but Round Hreosnabeorh often accomplished Cruelest massacre This my kinsman avengd The feud and fury as tis found on inquiry Though one of them paid it with forfeit of lifejoys Hthcyns fall at Ravenswood With price that was hard the struggle became then Fatal to Hthcyn lord of the Geatmen Then I heard that at morning one brother the other With edges of irons egged on to murder Where Ongentheow maketh onset on Eofor The helmet crashed the hoaryhaired Scylfing Swordsmitten fell his hand then remembered Feudhate sufficient refused not the deathblow I requited him for the jewels he gave me The gems that he gave me with jewelbright sword I Quited in contest as occasion was offered Land he allowed me lifejoy at homestead Manor to live on Little he needed From Gepids or Danes or in Sweden to look for Trooper less true with treasure to buy him Mong footsoldiers ever in front I would hie me Alone in the vanguard and evermore gladly Warfare shall wage while this weapon endureth That late and early often did serve me Beowulf refers to his having slain Dghrefn When I proved before heroes the slayer of Dghrefn Knight of the Hugmen he by no means was suffered To the king of the Frisians to carry the jewels The breastdecoration but the bannerpossessor Bowed in the battle bravemooded atheling No weapon was slayer but wargrapple broke then The surge of his spirit his body destroying Now shall weapons edge make war for the treasure And hand and firmsword Beowulf spake then Boastwords utteredthe latest occasion He boasts of his youthful prowess and declares himself still fearless I braved in my youthdays battles unnumbered Still am I willing the struggle to look for Famedeeds perform folkwarden prudent If the hateful despoiler forth from his cavern Seeketh me out Each of the heroes Helmbearers sturdy he thereupon greeted His last salutations Belovd coliegemenhis last salutation No brand would I bear no blade for the dragon Wist I a way my wordboast to complish Else with the monster as with Grendel I did it But fire in the battle hot I expect there Furious flameburning so I fixed on my body Target and warmail The ward of the barrow Ill not flee from a footlength the foeman uncanny At the wall twill befall us as Fate decreeth Let Fate decide between us Each ones Creator I am eager in spirit With the wingd warhero to away with all boasting Bide on the barrow with burnies protected Wait ye here till the battle is over Earls in armor which of us two may better Bear his disaster when the battle is over Tis no matter of yours and man cannot do it But me and me only to measure his strength with The monster of malice mightdeeds to complish I with prowess shall gain the gold or the battle Direful deathwoe will drag off your ruler The mighty champion rose by his shield then Brave under helmet in battlemail went he Neath steeprising stonecliffs the strength he relied on Of one man alone no work for a coward Then he saw by the wall who a great many battles Had lived through most worthy when foottroops collided The place of strife is described Stonearches standing stouthearted champion Saw a brook from the barrow bubbling out thenceward The flood of the fountain was fuming with warflame Not nigh to the hoard for season the briefest Could he brave without burning the abyss that was yawning The drake was so fiery The prince of the Weders Caused then that words came from his bosom So fierce was his fury the firmhearted shouted His battleclear voice came in resounding Neath the graycolored stone Stirred was his hatred Beowulf calls out under the stone arches The hoardward distinguished the speech of a man Time was no longer to look out for friendship The breath of the monster issued forth first Vapory warsweat out of the stonecave The terrible encounter The earth reechoed The earl neath the barrow Lifted his shield lord of the Geatmen Towrd the terrible stranger the ringtwisted creatures Heart was then ready to seek for a struggle Beowulf brandishes his sword The excellent battleking first brandished his weapon The ancient heirloom of edges unblunted To the deathplanners twain was terror from other and stands against his shield The lord of the troopers intrepidly stood then Gainst his highrising shield when the dragon coiled him The dragon coils himself Quickly together in corslet he bided He went then in blazes bended and striding Hasting him forward His life and body The targe well protected for timeperiod shorter Than wish demanded for the wellrenowned leader Where he then for the first day was forced to be victor Famous in battle as Fate had not willed it The lord of the Geatmen uplifted his hand then Smiting the firedrake with sword that was precious That bright on the bone the bladeedge did weaken Bit more feebly than his folkleader needed Burdened with balegriefs Then the barrowprotector The dragon rages When the swordblow had fallen was fierce in his spirit Flinging his fires flamings of battle Gleamed then afar the goldfriend of Weders Beowulfs sword fails him Boasted no conquests his battlesword failed him Naked in conflict as by no means it ought to Longtrusty weapon Twas no slight undertaking That Ecgtheows famous offspring would leave The drakecaverns bottom he must live in some region Other than this by the will of the dragon As each one of earthmen existence must forfeit Twas early thereafter the excellent warriors The combat is renewed Met with each other Anew and afresh The hoardward took heart gasps heaved then his bosom The great hero is reduced to extremities Sorrow he suffered encircled with fire Who the people erst governed His companions by no means Were banded about him bairns of the princes His comrades flee With valorous spirit but they sped to the forest Seeking for safety The souldeeps of one were Blood is thicker than water Ruffled by care kinlove can never Aught in him waver who well doth consider The clause rendered by Wist I monster Gr followed by S translates substantially as follows If I knew how else I might combat the boastful defiance of the monsterThe translation turns upon wigrpan a word not understood B emends and translates I will not flee the space of a foot from the guard of the barrow but there shall be to us a fight at the wall as fate decrees each ones Creator The translation of this passage is based on unslw accepted by HSo in lieu of the longstanding unglaw The former is taken as an adj limiting sweord the latter as an adj c gcyning The good warking rash with edges brandished his sword his old relic The latter gives a more rhetorical AngloSaxon poetical sentence XXXVI WIGLAF THE TRUSTYBEOWULF IS DESERTED BY FRIENDS AND BY SWORD Wiglaf remains truethe ideal Teutonic liegeman The son of Weohstan was Wiglaf entitled Shieldwarrior precious prince of the Scylfings lfheres kinsman he saw his dear liegelord Enduring the heat neath helmet and visor Then he minded the holding that erst he had given him Wiglaf recalls Beowulfs generosity The Wgmunding warriors wealthblessd homestead Each of the folkrights his father had wielded He was hot for the battle his hand seized the target The yellowbark shield he unsheathed his old weapon Which was known among earthmen as the relic of Eanmund Ohtheres offspring whom exiled and friendless Weohstan did slay with swordedge in battle And carried his kinsman the clearshining helmet The ringmade burnie the old giantweapon That Onela gave him his boonfellows armor Ready wartrappings he the feud did not mention Though hed fatally smitten the son of his brother Many a halfyear held he the treasures The bill and the burnie till his bairn became able Like his father before him famedeeds to complish Then he gave him mong Geatmen a goodly array of Weeds for his warfare he went from life then Old on his journey Twas the earliest time then This is Wiglafs first battle as liegeman of Beowulf That the youthful champion might charge in the battle Aiding his liegelord his spirit was dauntless Nor did kinsmans bequest quail at the battle This the dragon discovered on their coming together Wiglaf uttered many a rightsaying Said to his fellows sad was his spirit Wiglaf appeals to the pride of the cowards I remember the time when tasting the meadcup We promised in the hall the lord of us all Who gave us these ringtreasures that this battleequipment Swords and helmets wed certainly quite him Should need of such aid ever befall him How we have forfeited our liegelords confidence In the warband he chose us for this journey spontaneously Stirred us to glory and gave me these jewels Since he held and esteemed us trustworthy spearmen Hardy helmbearers though this heroachievement Our lord intended alone to accomplish Ward of his people for most of achievements Doings audacious he did among earthfolk Our lord is in sore need of us The day is now come when the ruler of earthmen Needeth the vigor of valiant heroes Let us wend us towards him the warprince to succor While the heat yet rageth horrible firefight I would rather die than go home with out my suzerain God wot in me tis mickle the liefer The blaze should embrace my body and eat it With my treasurebestower Meseemeth not proper To bear our battleshields back to our country Less first we are able to fell and destroy the Longhating foeman to defend the life of Surely he does not deserve to die alone The prince of the Weders Well do I know tisnt Earned by his exploits he only of Geatmen Sorrow should suffer sink in the battle Brand and helmet to us both shall be common Shieldcover burnie Through the balesmoke he stalked then Went under helmet to the help of his chieftain Wiglaf reminds Beowulf of his youthful boasts Briefly discoursing Beowulf dear Perform thou all fully as thou formerly saidst In thy youthful years that while yet thou livedst Thou wouldst let thine honor not ever be lessened Thy life thou shalt save mighty in actions Atheling undaunted with all of thy vigor The monster advances on them Ill give thee assistance The dragon came raging Wildmooded stranger when these words had been uttered Twas the second occasion seeking his enemies Men that were hated with hotgleaming firewaves With blazebillows burned the board to its edges The fightarmor failed then to furnish assistance To the youthful spearhero but the youngagd stripling Quickly advanced neath his kinsmans wartarget Since his own had been ground in the grip of the fire Beowulf strikes at the dragon Then the warriorking was careful of glory He soundly smote with swordforthebattle That it stood in the head by hatred driven Ngling was shivered the old and ironmade His sword fails him Brand of Beowulf in battle deceived him Twas denied him that edges of irons were able To help in the battle the hand was too mighty Which every weapon as I heard on inquiry Outstruck in its stroke when to struggle he carried The wonderful warsword it waxed him no better The dragon advances on Beowulf again Then the peopledespoilerthird of his onsets Fierceraging firedrake of feudhate was mindful Charged on the strong one when chance was afforded Heated and wargrim seized on his neck With teeth that were bitter he bloody did wax with Soulgore seething swordblood in waves boiled The passage Brand burnie is much disputed In the first place some eminent critics assume a gap of at least two halfversesrum being a peculiar form has been much discussed Byrduscrd is also a crux B suggests bwduscrd splendid vestments Nor is bm accepted by all bon being suggested Whatever the individual words the passage must mean I intend to share with him my equipments of defence B would render Which as I heard excelled in stroke every sword that he carried to the strife even the strongest sword For onne he reads one rel pr XXXVII THE FATAL STRUGGLEBEOWULFS LAST MOMENTS Wiglaf defends Beowulf Then I heard that at need of the king of the people The upstanding earlman exhibited prowess Vigor and courage as suited his nature He his head did not guard but the highminded liegemans Hand was consumed when he succored his kinsman So he struck the strifebringing strangecomer lower Earlthane in armor that in went the weapon Gleaming and plated that gan then the fire Beowulf draws his knife Later to lessen The liegelord himself then Retained his consciousness brandished his warknife Battlesharp bitter that he bare on his armor and cuts the dragon The Wederlord cut the worm in the middle They had felled the enemy life drove out then Puissant prowess the pair had destroyed him Landchiefs related so a liegeman should prove him A thaneman when needed To the prince twas the last of His era of conquest by his own great achievements Beowulfs wound swells and burns The latest of worlddeeds The wound then began Which the earthdwelling dragon erstwhile had wrought him To burn and to swell He soon then discovered That bitterest balewoe in his bosom was raging Poison within The atheling advanced then He sits down exhausted That along by the wall he prudent of spirit Might sit on a settle he saw the giantwork How arches of stone strengthened with pillars The earthhall eternal inward supported Then the longworthy liegeman laved with his hand the Wiglaf bathes his lords head Farfamous chieftain gory from swordedge Refreshing the face of his friendlord and ruler Sated with battle unbinding his helmet Beowulf answered of his injury spake he His wound that was fatal he was fully aware He had lived his allotted lifedays enjoying The pleasures of earth then past was entirely His measure of days death very near Beowulf regrets that he has no son My son I would give now my battleequipments Had any of heirs been after me granted Along of my body This people I governed Fifty of winters no king mong my neighbors Dared to encounter me with comradesinbattle Try me with terror The time to me ordered I bided at home mine own kept fitly Sought me no snares swore me not many I can rejoice in a wellspent life Oaths in injustice Joy over all this Im able to have though ill with my deathwounds Hence the Ruler of Earthmen need not charge me With the killing of kinsmen when cometh my life out Forth from my body Fare thou with haste now Bring me the hoard Wiglaf that my dying eyes may be refreshed by a sight of it To behold the hoard neath the hoargrayish stone Welllovd Wiglaf now the worm is alying Sorewounded sleepeth disseized of his treasure Go thou in haste that treasures of old I Goldwealth may gaze on together see lying The etherbright jewels be easier able Having the heap of hoardgems to yield my Life and the landfolk whom long I have governed B renders He W did not regard his the dragons head since Beowulf had struck it without effect but struck the dragon a little lower downOne crux is to find out whose head is meant another is to bring out the antithesis between head and hand t t fr S emends to t fr when the fire began to grow less intense afterward This emendation relieves the passage of a plethora of conjunctive ts For gefyldan S proposes gefylde The passage would read He felled the foe life drove out strength and they then both had destroyed him chieftains related This gives Beowulf the credit of having felled the dragon then they combine to annihilate himFor ellen Kl suggests eallneThe reading life drove out strength is very unsatisfactory and very peculiar I would suggest as follows Adopt Ss emendation remove Hs parenthesis read ferhellen wrc and translate He felled the foe drove out his lifestrength that is made him hors de combat and then they both etc XXXVIII WIGLAF PLUNDERS THE DRAGONS DENBEOWULFS DEATH Wiglaf fulfils his lords behest Then heard I that Wihstans son very quickly These words being uttered heeded his liegelord Wounded and warsick went in his armor His wellwoven ringmail neath the roof of the barrow Then the trusty retainer treasuregems many The dragons den Victorious saw when the seat he came near to Goldtreasure sparkling spread on the bottom Wonder on the wall and the wormcreatures cavern The ancient dawnfliers vessels astanding Cups of the ancients of cleansers bereavd Robbed of their ornaments there were helmets in numbers Old and rusteaten armbracelets many Artfully woven Wealth can easily Gold on the seabottom turn into vanity Each one of earthmen arm him who pleaseth And he saw there lying an allgolden banner High oer the hoard of handwonders greatest Linkd with lacets a light from it sparkled That the floor of the cavern he was able to look on The dragon is not there To examine the jewels Sight of the dragon Not any was offered but edge offcarried him Wiglaf bears the hoard away Then I heard that the hero the hoardtreasure plundered The giantwork ancient reaved in the cavern Bare on his bosom the beakers and platters As himself would fain have it and took off the standard The brightest of beacons the bill had erst injured Its edge was of iron the oldrulers weapon Him who long had watched as ward of the jewels Who fireterror carried hot for the treasure Rolling in battle in middlemost darkness Till murdered he perished The messenger hastened Not loth to return hurried by jewels Curiosity urged him if excellentmooded Alive he should find the lord of the Weders Mortally wounded at the place where he left him Mid the jewels he found then the famous old chieftain His liegelord belovd at his lifesend gory He thereupon gan to lave him with water Till the point of his word piercd his breasthoard Beowulf spake the goldgems he noticed Beowulf is rejoiced to see the jewels The old one in sorrow For the jewels I look on Thanks do I utter for all to the Ruler Wielder of Worship with words of devotion The Lord everlasting that He let me such treasures Gain for my people ere death overtook me Since Ive bartered the agd life to me granted For treasure of jewels attend ye henceforward He desires to be held in memory by his people The wants of the warthanes I can wait here no longer The battlefamed bid ye to build them a gravehill Bright when Im burned at the brimcurrents limit As a memorymark to the men I have governed Aloft it shall tower on WhalesNess uprising That earls of the ocean hereafter may call it Beowulfs barrow those who barks everdashing From a distance shall drive oer the darkness of waters The heros last gift The boldmooded trooplord took from his neck then The ring that was golden gave to his liegeman The youthful warhero his goldflashing helmet His collar and warmail bade him well to enjoy them and last words Thou art latest left of the line of our kindred Of Wgmunding people Weird hath offcarried All of my kinsmen to the Creators glory Earls in their vigor I shall after them fare Twas the aged liegelords lastspoken word in His musings of spirit ere he mounted the fire The battlewaves burning from his bosom departed His soul to seek the sainted ones glory The word oferhgian being vague and little understood two quite distinct translations of this passage have arisen One takes oferhgian as meaning to exceed and inserting hord after gehwone renders The treasure may easily the gold in the ground exceed in value every hoard of man hide it who will The other takes oferhgian as meaning to render arrogant and giving the sentence a moralizing tone renders substantially as in the body of this work Cf et seq The passage beginning here is very much disputed The bill of the old lord is by some regarded as Beowulfs sword by others as that of the ancient possessor of the hoard r gescd translated in this work as verb and adverb is by some regarded as a compound participial adj sheathed in brass XXXIX THE DEAD FOESWIGLAFS BITTER TAUNTS Wiglaf is sorely grieved to see his lord look so unwarlike It had wofully chanced then the youthful retainer To behold on earth the most ardentbelovd At his lifedays limit lying there helpless The slayer too lay there of life all bereavd Horrible earthdrake harassed with sorrow The dragon has plundered his last hoard The roundtwisted monster was permitted no longer To govern the ringhoards but edges of warswords Mightily seized him battlesharp sturdy Leavings of hammers that still from his wounds The flierfromfarland fell to the earth Hard by his hoardhouse hopped he at midnight Not eer through the air nor exulting in jewels Suffered them to see him but he sank then to earthward Through the herochiefs handwork I heard sure it throve then Few warriors dared to face the monster But few in the land of liegemen of valor Though of every achievement bold he had proved him To run gainst the breath of the venomous scather Or the hall of the treasure to trouble with handblows If he watching had found the ward of the hoardhall On the barrow abiding Beowulfs part of The treasure of jewels was paid for with death Each of the twain had attained to the end of Life so unlasting Not long was the time till The cowardly thanes come out of the thicket The tardyatbattle returned from the thicket The timid trucebreakers ten all together Who durst not before play with the lances In the prince of the peoples pressing emergency They are ashamed of their desertion But blushing with shame with shields they betook them With arms and armor where the old one was lying They gazed upon Wiglaf He was sitting exhausted Footgoing fighter not far from the shoulders Of the lord of the people would rouse him with water No whit did it help him though he hoped for it keenly He was able on earth not at all in the leader Life to retain and nowise to alter The will of the Wielder the WorldRulers power Would govern the actions of each one of heroes Wiglaf is ready to excoriate them As yet He is doing From the young one forthwith then Could grimworded greeting be got for him quickly Whose courage had failed him Wiglaf discoursed then Weohstan his son sadmooded hero He begins to taunt them Looked on the hated He who soothness will utter Can say that the liegelord who gave you the jewels The ornamentarmor wherein ye are standing When on alebench often he offered to hallmen Helmet and burnie the prince to his liegemen As best upon earth he was able to find him Surely our lord wasted his armor on poltroons That he wildly wasted his wargear undoubtedly When battle oertook him The troopking no need had To glory in comrades yet God permitted him He however got along without you VictoryWielder with weapon unaided Himself to avenge when vigor was needed I lifeprotection but little was able To give him in battle and I gan notwithstanding With some aid I could have saved our liegelord Helping my kinsman my strength overtaxing He waxed the weaker when with weapon I smote on My mortal opponent the fire less strongly Flamed from his bosom Too few of protectors Came round the king at the critical moment Giftgiving is over with your people the ringlord is dead Now must ornamenttaking and weaponbestowing Homejoyance all cease for your kindred Food for the people each of your warriors Must needs be bereavd of rights that he holdeth In landed possessions when faraway nobles Shall learn of your leaving your lord so basely What is life without honor The dastardly deed Death is more pleasant To every earlman than infamous life is For ddum rdan B suggests da rdan and renders The might or judgment of God would determine death for every man as he still does Some critics H himself in earlier editions put the clause When him AS beget with the following sentence that is they make it dependent upon orfte instead of upon forwurpe XL THE MESSENGER OF DEATH Wiglaf sends the news of Beowulfs death to liegemen near by Then he charged that the battle be announced at the hedge Up oer the cliffedge where the earltroopers bided The whole of the morning moodwretched sat them Bearers of battleshields both things expecting The end of his lifetime and the coming again of The liegelord belovd Little reserved he Of news that was known who the nesscliff did travel But he truly discoursed to all that could hear him The messenger speaks Now the freegiving friendlord of the folk of the Weders The folkprince of Geatmen is fast in his deathbed By the deeds of the dragon in deathbed abideth Along with him lieth his lifetaking foeman Slain with knifewounds he was wholly unable To injure at all the illplanning monster Wiglaf sits by our dead lord With bite of his swordedge Wiglaf is sitting Offspring of Wihstan up over Beowulf Earl oer another whose endday hath reached him Headwatch holdeth oer heroes unliving Our lords death will lead to attacks from our old foes For friend and for foeman The folk now expecteth A season of strife when the death of the folkking To Frankmen and Frisians in farlands is published The warhatred waxed warm gainst the Hugmen Higelacs death recalled When Higelac came with an army of vessels Faring to Friesland where the Frankmen in battle Humbled him and bravely with overmight complished That the mailclad warrior must sink in the battle Fell mid his folktroop no fretgems presented The atheling to earlmen aye was denied us Merewings mercy The men of the Swedelands For truce or for truth trust I but little But widely twas known that near Ravenswood Ongentheow Hthcyns fall referred to Sundered Hthcyn the Hrethling from lifejoys When for pride overweening the WarScylfings first did Seek the Geatmen with savage intentions Early did Ohtheres ageladen father Old and terrible give blow in requital Killing the seaking the queenmother rescued The old one his consort deprived of her gold Onelas mother and Ohtheres also And then followed the feudnursing foemen till hardly Reaved of their ruler they Ravenswood entered Then with vastnumbered forces he assaulted the remnant Weary with wounds woe often promised The livelong night to the sadhearted wartroop Said he at morning would kill them with edges of weapons Some on the gallows for glee to the fowls Aid came after to the anxiousinspirit At dawn of the day after Higelacs bugle And trumpetsound heard they when the good one proceeded And faring followed the flower of the troopers Higemum is glossed by H as dat plu for the dead S proposes higeme nom sing limiting Wiglf ie W moodweary holds headwatch oer friend and foeB suggests taking the word as dat inst plu of an abstract noun in u The translation would be substantially the same as Ss XLI THE MESSENGERS RETROSPECT The messenger continues and refers to the feuds of Swedes and Geats The bloodstaind trace of Swedes and Geatmen The deathrush of warmen widely was noticed How the folks with each other feud did awaken The worthy one went then with wellbeloved comrades Old and dejected to go to the fastness Ongentheo earl upward then turned him Of Higelacs battle hed heard on inquiry The exultant ones prowess despaired of resistance With earls of the ocean to be able to struggle Gainst seagoing sailors to save the hoardtreasure His wife and his children he fled after thenceward Old neath the earthwall Then was offered pursuance To the braves of the Swedemen the banner to Higelac They fared then forth oer the fieldofprotection When the Hrethling heroes hedgeward had thronged them Then with edges of irons was Ongentheow driven The grayhaired to tarry that the troopruler had to Suffer the power solely of Eofor Wulf wounds Ongentheow Wulf then wildly with weapon assaulted him Wonred his son that for swinge of the edges The blood from his body burst out in currents Forth neath his hair He feared not however Grayheaded Scylfing but speedily quited Ongentheow gives a stout blow in return The wasting woundstroke with worse exchange When the king of the thanetroop thither did turn him The wisemooded son of Wonred was powerless To give a returnblow to the agehoary man But his headshielding helmet first hewed he to pieces That flecked with gore perforce he did totter Fell to the earth not fey was he yet then But up did he spring though an edgewound had reached him Eofor smites Ongentheow fiercely Then Higelacs vassal valiant and dauntless When his brother lay dead made his broadbladed weapon Giantsword ancient defence of the giants Bound oer the shieldwall the folkprince succumbed then Ongentheow is slain Shepherd of people was pierced to the vitals There were many attendants who bound up his kinsman Carried him quickly when occasion was granted That the place of the slain they were suffered to manage This pending one hero plundered the other His armor of iron from Ongentheow ravished His hardsword hilted and helmet together Eofor takes the old kings wargear to Higelac The old ones equipments he carried to Higelac He the jewels received and rewards mid the troopers Graciously promised and so did accomplish The king of the Weders requited the warrush Hrethels descendant when home he repaired him Higelac rewards the brothers To Eofor and Wulf with widelavished treasures To each of them granted a hundred of thousands In land and rings wrought out of wire His gifts were beyond cavil None upon midearth needed to twit him With the gifts he gave them when glory they conquered To Eofor he also gives his only daughter in marriage And to Eofor then gave he his one only daughter The honor of home as an earnest of favor Thats the feud and hatredas ween I twill happen The anger of earthmen that earls of the Swedemen Will visit on us when they hear that our leader Lifeless is lying he who longtime protected His hoard and kingdom gainst hating assailers Who on the fall of the heroes defended of yore The deedmighty Scyldings did for the troopers What best did avail them and further moreover It is time for us to pay the last marks of respect to our lord Herodeeds complished Now is haste most fitting That the lord of liegemen we look upon yonder And that one carry on journey to deathpyre Who ringpresents gave us Not aught of it all Shall melt with the brave onetheres a mass of bright jewels Gold beyond measure grewsomely purchased And ending it all ornamentrings too Bought with his life these fire shall devour Flame shall cover no earlman shall wear A jewelmemento nor beautiful virgin Have on her neck rings to adorn her But wretched in spirit bereavd of goldgems She shall oft with others be exiled and banished Since the leader of liegemen hath laughter forsaken Mirth and merriment Hence many a warspear Cold from the morning shall be clutched in the fingers Heaved in the hand no harpmusics sound shall Waken the warriors but the wancoated raven Fain over fey ones freely shall gabble Shall say to the eagle how he sped in the eating When the wolf his companion he plundered the slain So the highminded hero was rehearsing these stories Loathsome to hear he lied as to few of The warriors go sadly to look at Beowulfs lifeless body Weirds and of words All the wartroop arose then Neath the Eagles Cape sadly betook them Weeping and woful the wonder to look at They saw on the sand then soulless alying His slaughterbed holding him who rings had given them In days that were done then the deathbringing moment Was come to the good one that the king very warlike Wielder of Weders with wonderdeath perished First they beheld there a creature more wondrous They also see the dragon The worm on the field in front of them lying The foeman before them the firespewing dragon Ghostly and grisly guest in his terrors Was scorched in the fire as he lay there he measured Fifty of feet came forth in the nighttime To rejoice in the air thereafter departing To visit his den he in death was then fastened He would joy in no other earthhollowed caverns There stood round about him beakers and vessels Dishes were lying and dearvalued weapons With ironrust eaten as in earths mighty bosom A thousand of winters there they had rested The hoard was under a magic spell That mighty bequest then with magic was guarded Gold of the ancients that earlman not any The ringhall could touch save RulingGod only Soothking of Victries gave whom He wished to God alone could give access to it He is earthfolks protector to open the treasure Een to such among mortals as seemed to Him proper For gda which seems a surprising epithet for a Geat to apply to the terrible Ongentheow B suggests gomela The passage would then stand The old one went then etc For segn Higelce K Th and B propose segn Higelces meaning Higelacs banner followed the Swedes in pursuitS suggests scc Higelces and renders Higelacs pursuitThe HSo reading as translated in our text means that the banner of the enemy was captured and brought to Higelac as a trophy The rendering given in this translation represents the king as being generous beyond the possibility of reproach but some authorities construe him as plu and understand the passage to mean that no one reproached the two brothers with having received more reward than they were entitled to The name Scyldingas here has caused much discussion and given rise to several theories the most important of which are as follows After the downfall of Hrothgars family Beowulf was king of the Danes or Scyldings For Scyldingas read Scylfingasthat is after killing Eadgils the Scylfing prince Beowulf conquered his land and held it in subjection M considers a thoughtless repetition of Cf HSo B takes nihtes and hwlum as separate adverbial cases and renders Joy in the air had he of yore by night etc He thinks that the idea of vanished time ought to be expressed The parenthesis is by some emended so as to read He ie God is the hope of men he is the hope of heroes Grs reading has no parenthesis but says could touch unless God himself true king of victories gave to whom he would to open the treasure the secret place of enchanters etc The last is rejected on many grounds XLII WIGLAFS SAD STORYTHE HOARD CARRIED OFF Then twas seen that the journey prospered him little Who wrongly within had the ornaments hidden Down neath the wall The warden erst slaughtered Some few of the folktroop the feud then thereafter Was hotly avengd Tis a wonder where When the strengthfamous trooper has attained to the end of Lifedays allotted then no longer the man may Remain with his kinsmen where meadcups are flowing So to Beowulf happened when the ward of the barrow Assaults he sought for himself had no knowledge How his leaving this life was likely to happen So to doomsday famous folkleaders down did Call it with curseswho complished it there That that man should be ever of illdeeds convicted Confined in foulplaces fastened in hellbonds Punished with plagues who this place should eer ravage He cared not for gold rather the Wielders Favor preferred he first to get sight of Wiglaf addresses his comrades Wiglaf discoursed then Wihstan his son Oft many an earlman on one mans account must Sorrow endure as to us it hath happened The liegelord belovd we could little prevail on Kingdoms keeper counsel to follow Not to go to the guardian of the goldhoard but let him Lie where he long was live in his dwelling Till the end of the world Met we a destiny Hard to endure the hoard has been looked at Been gained very grimly too grievous the fate that The prince of the people pricked to come thither I was therein and all of it looked at The buildings equipments since access was given me Not kindly at all entrance permitted He tells them of Beowulfs last moments Within under earthwall Hastily seized I And held in my hands a hugeweighing burden Of hoardtreasures costly hither out bare them To my liegelord belovd life was yet in him And consciousness also the old one discoursed then Much and mournfully commanded to greet you Beowulfs dying request Bade that remembering the deeds of your friendlord Ye build on the firehill of corpses a lofty Burialbarrow broad and farfamous As mid worlddwelling warriors he was widely most honored While he reveled in riches Let us rouse us and hasten Again to see and seek for the treasure The wonder neath wall The way I will show you That close ye may look at ringgems sufficient And gold in abundance Let the bier with promptness Fully be fashioned when forth we shall come And lift we our lord then where long he shall tarry Wellbeloved warrior neath the Wielders protection Wiglaf charges them to build a funeralpyre Then the son of Wihstan bade orders be given Moodvaliant man to many of heroes Holders of homesteads that they hither from far Leaders of liegemen should look for the good one With wood for his pyre The flame shall now swallow The wan fire shall wax the warriors leader Who the rain of the iron often abided When sturdily hurled the storm of the arrows Leapt oer lindenwall the lance rendered service Furnished with feathers followed the arrow Now the wisemooded son of Wihstan did summon The best of the braves from the band of the ruler He takes seven thanes and enters the den Seven together neath the enemys roof he Went with the seven one of the heroes Who fared at the front a fireblazing torchlight Bare in his hand No lot then decided Who that hoard should havoc when heroearls saw it Lying in the cavern uncaredfor entirely Rusting to ruin they rued then but little That they hastily hence hauled out the treasure They push the dragon over the wall The dearvalued jewels the dragon eke pushed they The worm oer the wall let the wavecurrents take him The waters enwind the ward of the treasures The hoard is laid on a wain There wounden gold on a wain was uploaded A mass unmeasured the menleader off then The hero hoary to WhalesNess was carried For gehdde B suggests gehde the passage would stand as above except the change of hidden v to plundered The reference however would be to the thief not to the dragon The passage Wundur ban M took to be a question asking whether it was strange that a man should die when his appointed time had comeB sees a corruption and makes emendations introducing the idea that a brave man should not die from sickness or from old age but should find death in the performance of some deed of daringS sees an indirect question introduced by hwr and dependent upon wundur A secret is it when the hero is to die etcWhy may the two clauses not be parallel and the whole passage an Old English cry of How wonderful is deathSs is the best yet offered if wundor means mystery For strude in HSo S suggests stride This would require ravage v to be changed to tread He cared sight of S emends so as to read as follows He Beowulf had not before seen the favor of the avaricious possessor B renders That which drew the king thither ie the treasure was granted us but in such a way that it overcomes us Folcgende B takes as dat sing with gdum and refers it to Beowulf that is Should bring firewood to the place where the good folkruler lay C proposes to take weaxan L vescor and translate devour This gives a parallel to fretan above The parenthesis would be discarded and the passage read Now shall the fire consume the wanflame devour the prince of warriors etc XLIII THE BURNING OF BEOWULF Beowulfs pyre The folk of the Geatmen got him then ready A pile on the earth strong for the burning Behung with helmets heroknights targets And brightshining burnies as he begged they should have them Then wailing warheroes their worldfamous chieftain Their liegelord beloved laid in the middle The funeralflame Soldiers began then to make on the barrow The largest of deadfires dark oer the vapor The smokecloud ascended the sadroaring fire Mingled with weeping the windroar subsided Till the building of bone it had broken to pieces Hot in the heart Heavy in spirit They moodsad lamented the menleaders ruin And mournful measures the muchgrieving widow The Weders carry out their lords last request The men of the Weders made accordingly A hill on the height high and extensive Of seagoing sailors to be seen from a distance And the brave ones beacon built where the fire was In tendays space with a wall surrounded it As wisest of worldfolk could most worthily plan it They placed in the barrow rings and jewels Rings and gems are laid in the barrow All such ornaments as erst in the treasure Warmooded men had won in possession The earnings of earlmen to earth they entrusted The gold to the dust where yet it remaineth As useless to mortals as in foregoing eras Round the deadmound rode then the doughtyinbattle Bairns of all twelve of the chiefs of the people They mourn for their lord and sing his praises More would they mourn lament for their ruler Speak in measure mention him with pleasure Weighed his worth and his warlike achievements Mightily commended as tis meet one praise his Liegelord in words and love him in spirit When forth from his body he fares to destruction So lamented mourning the men of the Geats Fondloving vassals the fall of their lord An ideal king Said he was kindest of kings under heaven Gentlest of men most winning of manner Friendliest to folktroops and fondest of honor ADDENDA Several discrepancies and other oversights have been noticed in the HSo glossary Of these a good part were avoided by Harrison and Sharp the American editors of Beowulf in their last edition The rest will I hope be noticed in their fourth edition As however this book may fall into the hands of some who have no copy of the American edition it seems best to notice all the principal oversights of the German editors From hm Notes and glossary conflict the latter not having been altered to suit the conclusions accepted in the former r gelfan sceal dryhtnes dme Under dm H says the might of the Lord while under gelfan he says the judgment of the Lord Eal bencelu Under bencelu H says nom plu while under eal he says nom sing Heathormas Under tberan H translates to the Heathoremes while under Heathormas he says Heathormas reaches Breca in the swimmingmatch with Beowulf Harrison and Sharp d edition avoid the discrepancy Fh fondscaa Under fondscaa H says a gleaming seamonster under fh he says hostile Onfeng hrae inwitancum Under onfn H says he received the maliciouslydisposed one under inwitanc he says he grasped etc Nwundor son Under nwundor H calls this word itself nom sing under son he translates it as accus sing understanding man as subject of son H and S d edition make the correction Forgeaf hildebille H under the second word calls it instr dat while under forgifan he makes it the dat of indir obj H and S d edition make the change Brd and brnecg Under brd H says das breite Hftmesser mit bronzener Klinge under brnecg he says ihr breites Hftmesser mit blitzender Klinge Yelce Under this word H makes it modify std If this be right the punctuation of the fifth edition is wrong See H and S appendix Slran geshte Under sl and gescan H calls these two words accus plu but this is clearly an error as both are nom plu pred nom H and S correct under sl Wi sylfne Under wi and gesittan H says wi near by under self he says opposite ow is omitted from the glossary For duguum Under dugu H translates this phrase in Tchtigkeit under for by vor der edlen Kriegerschaar r Under wealdan H translates r by wo under mtan by da H and S suggest if in both passages Wunde Under wund H says dative and under wlblate he says accus It is without doubt accus parallel with benne Strengum gebded Under strengo H says Strengum mit Macht under gebded he translates von den Sehnen H and S correct this discrepancy by rejecting the second reading Bronda be lfe A recent emendation The fourth edition had bronda betost In the fifth edition the editor neglects to change the glossary to suit the new emendation See bewyrcan End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Beowulf END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEOWULF This file should be named txt or zip This and all associated files of various formats will be found in httpwwwgutenbergorg Produced by David Starner Dainis Millers and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at httpwwwpgdpnet Updated editions will replace the 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